** \ -IK-' /\ 4vv^
^ ^^^fef- ^ c!?^ ^>^^
^OV^
c^ .
•"^* .<?'"
o w o
-^/^>.^>>^S /^/5ir? /y c/^K^^^..^^zy*l,€^A^^ i^S^t
'TME>
T^^mmit cf BticouSiU'^^^
PUBtlSHUD BIT
eHeacon Stceet
OlT-^
:ro^t€Ks^
STEPHEN DECATUR
CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY
BOSTON
SMALL, MAYNARD Sf CO.
1900
\
Copyright^ ipoo
By Smal/j Maynard iff Company
{^Incorporated)
Entered at Stationers' Hall
XWO COPIES RECEIVED,
l^ibrary of CcBfHtHi
Ofneo of thi
JUN4-1900
Kcgftttr of C»s?fl|Hfi
FIRST OO^'^J^dl , % f 1^6-6
George H. Ellis, Boston
Tlie photogravure used as a frontispieee
is taken from a portrait iy Sully j which
hangs in the library of the United States
Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. It is
commonly believed to have been the study
from which the Decatur medal was made
in 1813.
To the Memory of
MY FATHER
A faithful soldier and citizen
of the Bepublic
PEEFACR
Stephen Decatur was the most conspicuous
figure in the naval history of the United
States for the hundred years between Paul
Jones and Farragut. While the fame of
most of the early naval captains^ who shed
such imperishable lustre upon American
arms by their exploits on the sea^ rests upon
a single battle, Decatur, in at least three of
our early wars, was the he^^o of a half-dozen
adventurous undertaJcings, any one of which
would have given a fair claim to immor-
tality. More than any other captain of his
time, his name is cherished by his country-
men ; for he represented to a greater degree
than any of his contemporaries those fine
qualities which a pardonable national vanity
inclines us to consider peculiarly American,
Sis unfortunate talung off at a compara-
tively early age, under circumstances pain-
ful, but dramatic, has added to the interest
which his name excites.
An accurate presentation of his life should
X PEEFACE
not only show the man as he appeared to his
contemporaries J hut should exhibit in some
measure the national life and habit of
thought and action during the time in which
he lived. To do this, so far as possible in
so brief a compass^ has been my aim in this
attempt to hold the mirror up to nature.
I have J therefore^ freely draicn upon all
available sources of information^ including
many manuscripts^ letters^ and other inter-
esting matter in the possession of his de-
scendants and in the library of the Historical
Society of Pennsylvania. I gratefully ac-
knowledge my indebtedness to Mrs. Edward
Shippen and Mrs. F. C. Getchell, of Phila-
delphia, grand-nieces of the great com-
modorCj and to Mr. Edway^d Shippen^ for
much valuable information {hitherto un-
published) concerning the genealogy and
early history of the Decatur family.
CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY.
Philadelphia, January, 1900,
CHEONOLOGY.
1779
January 5. Stephen Decatur was born
at Sinepuxent, Worcester County, Md.
1787
Made a sea voyage to Bordeaux for the
benefit of his health, in a ship owned and
commanded by his father.
1796
Entered the counting-house of Gurney &
Smith of Philadelphia^ merchants and
ship-owners, with whom his father was
associated.
1797
July 10. Launched in the frigate United
States, 44 guns, the first ship of the
United States Navy.
1798
April 30. Appointed midshipman in the
United States Navy by President Adams.
May. Joined the United States, Commo-
iore John Barry.
xii CHEOIsrOLOGY
1798 (continued)
July. Sailed for West Indies. First
cruise.
1799
January or February, Promoted to lieu-
tenant, provisionally, by Commodore
Barry.
Spring. Saved the life of a drowning
man.
June 3. Commissioned lieutenant by
President Adams.
June. Fought a duel with mate of a
merchant ship.
July. Sailed on cruise along the North
American coast in the ^lited States^
Captain James Barron, as her fourth
lieutenant.
December. Sailed for France with Amer-
ican envoys. Second cruise.
1800
April 15. Eeturned to America in the
United States.
May. Transferred to brig Norfolk, 18
guns, Captain James Calvert. Sailed for
Spanish Main. Third cruise.
CHEONOLOGY xiii
1800 {continued)
December, Joined the United States^
Commodore Barry, Captain James Bar-
ron, for a cruise to the West Indies.
Fourth cruise.
1801
February. Eeturned home in the United
States.
May. Appointed first lieutenant of the
frigate EsseXy 32 guns, Captain William
Bainbridge, Commodore Dale's squad-
ron. Sailed for Mediterranean. Fifth
cruise.
Challenged Spanish naval officer at Bar-
celona.
1802
July 22. Eeturned in the Essex to
America.
August 15. Appointed first lieutenant
of the frigate New TorJc, 36 guns, Com-
I modore E. V. Morris, Captain James
Barron.
September 1. Sailed for the Mediterra-
nean again. Sixth cruise.
xiv CHEONOLOGY
1803
February. Acted as second to Mid-
shipman Joseph Bainbridge in his duel
with the secretary of Governor of Malta.
March. Eeturned home in the frigate
ChesapeaJcey 36 guns, Captain James
Barron.
Summer. Placed in command of brig
Argus^ 18 guns.
September. Sailed for Mediterranean
again. Seventh cruise.
November 12. Joined squadron of Com-
modore Preble. Transferred to the com-
mand of the schooner Enterprise^ 12
guns.
December 23. Captured ketch Mastico,
4 gunS; renamed Intrepid.
1804
February 16. Destroyed the frigate
FJiiladelphia, 36 guns, in harbor of
Tripoli.
August 3. Commanded gunboat divi-
sion in attack before Tripoli, capturing
two gunboats by hand-to-hand fighting.
CHEONOLOGY xv
1804 (^continued)
August 7. Commanded gunboats in
second attack on batteries at Tripoli, and
received commission as captain in the
navy, dated May 22, and taking effect
from February 16, 1804.
Commanded gunboats on following
dates : —
August 24. Third attack on Tripoli.
August 28. Fourth attack on Tripoli.
September 3. Fifth attack on Tripoli.
September. In command of the frigate
Constitution, 4:4: guns.
1805
Summer. Transferred to command of
the frigate Congress, 36 guns.
September. Sailed for home.
1806
Spring-summer. Commanded squadron
of gunboats in the Chesapeake Bay,
superintending the building of many.
March 8. Married Susan Wheeler, of
Norfolk, Va.
xvi CHEOI^OLOGY
1806 (continued)
Winter. Commanded Norfolk Navy
Yard.
1808
Made commodore, commanding frigate
Chesapeake, 36 guns, and naval forces on
southern coast of United States. Eighth
cruise.
1810
Transferred flag to frigate United States,
44 guns. Mnth cruise.
1812
Jime 21. Sailed in command of the
United States with Commodore Eodgers's
squadron. Tenth cruise.
October 8. Sailed in command of the
United States with Commodore Eodgers^s
squadron. Eleventh cruise.
October 12. Parted company with Com-
modore Eodgers's squadron.
October 25. Captured, after desperate
battle, H. B. M. frigate Macedonian, 38
guns, Captain John Surman Carden.
CHEONOLOGY xvii
1813
Blockaded witli squadron at New York
and New London.
1814
April. Took command of the frigate
President^ 44 guns, and squadron.
1815
January 14. Ean the blockade off New
York. Twelfth cruise.
January 15. Defeated H. B. M. frigate
Endymionj 44 guns.
Surrendered the President to a British
squadron.
May 20. Commodore commanding
United States ship Guerriere, 44 guns,
and squadron. Sailed for the Mediter-
ranean. Thirteenth cruise.
June 17. Squadron captured Algerine
frigate Meshouday 44 guns.
June 19. Squadron captured Algerine
brig Estedio, 22 guns.
June 30. Exacted submission and peace
from the Dey of Algiers.
xviii CHEOXOLOGY
1815 (^continues)
July 26. Exacted submission and peace
from the Bey of Tunis.
August 7. Exacted submission and peace
from the Bashaw of Tripoli.
November 12. Arrived in New York.
1816
Appointed Navy Commissioner.
1818
Acted as second to Commodore Perry in
his duel with Captain Heath. Prevented
continuance of duel.
1820 ^
March 22. Killed in a duel with Com-
modore James Barron.
STEPHEN DECATUR
STEPHEN DECATUR.
I.
CoNTEARY to the general opinion
which traces Decatur's descent from a
French family of La Eochelle, his re-
mote ancestors came from Holland,
where the family of de Kater is of great
antiquity, the name appearing in the
genealogical records as early as the four-
teenth century. The family seems al-
ways to have numbered persons of
wealth, consideration and distinction
among its members. A scion emigrated
from Amsterdam to Bordeaux early in
the seventeenth century. He married a
French woman of some rank ; and one
of their descendants, a merchant, ship-
owner and privateer, was ennobled by
Louis XV. in 1733. From this union
sprang the American Decaturs, though
the links of transmission are not entirely
clear. No entry can be found in the
naval records of France to substantiate
2 STEPHEN DECATUE
the claim that the progenitor of the
family in America, Etienne Decatur,
was a lieutenant in the French navy.
He was, however, as had been many of
his forbears, a sailor ; he was also a bold
privateersman. He first appears in this
country at Newport, E.I., before the
middle of the eighteenth century. He
became a citizen of this country in 1753.
In 1751 he married a widow named
Priscilla Hill, nee George. He died in
Philadelphia a few years later, leaving
in very straightened circumstances a
widow and one child, born in 1752,
Stephen Decatur, the second, the father
of the great commodore.
This Stephen Decatur grew to man-
hood in Philadelphia, where he finally
married Miss Anna Pine, the beautiftd
and accomplished daughter of an Irish
gentleman. Like his French father, he
was also a sailor, and commanded mer-
chant ships and privateers with brilliant
success during the Eevolution. It is
STEPHEN DECATUR 3
evidence of the patriotism of the family
that they removed from Philadelphia
when it was menaced by Howe's advance
np the Chesapeake, and sought safety
during the British occupation in a little
two-room log farm-house, twenty-five by
seventeen feet in size, at a place called
Sinepuxent, a few miles from the sea-
shore in Worcester County, Maryland,
near the present town of Bristol. There,
of this mixed Dutch, French, Irish, and
American ancestry, on Tuesday, Janu-
ary 5, 1779, was born Stephen Decatur,
the third. The unusual combination of
different racial strains in his blood seems
to have worked well. He had the stolid
endurance and staying power of the
Dutchman, the gallantry and gaieU de
cceur of the Frenchman, the pugnacity
and the good humor of the Irishman,
and the coolness, ingenuity, persever-
ance and sea adaptability of the Anglo-
Saxon. He was the eldest of three
brothers and one sister.
4 STEPHE^^ DECATUE
After the evacuation of Philadelphia
by the British the family returned to
that city. At the close of the war, Ste-
phen Decatur, senior, having amassed a
comfortable fortune by his privateering
and other ventures, entered into partner-
ship with Messrs. Gurney & Smith, mer-
chants and ship-owners, and in com-
mand of the ship Ariel, belonging to the
firm, made many profitable voyages to
Bordeaux and elsewhere.
At the age of eight years the young
Stephen was taken by his father on a
European cruise for the benefit of his
health. He was thus early introduced
to the sea, toward which his inclination
and ancestry ever urged him. The fam-
ily being of gentle birth, mingling in
the best society of the capital of the
young nation and possessing ample
means, the young Stephen was given
every educational advantage which the
period and environment permitted.
He was a pupil at the best schools of
stephe:n deoatue 5
Philadelphia, the Episcopal Academy,
and also the academic department of
what is now the Uniyersity of Pennsyl-
vania. He was a proud, high-spirited,
impulsive, generous, courageous lad, in-
tensely loyal and patriotic, and excel-
ling in si)orts and games of all sorts 5 a
born athlete and a born fighter as well ;
not that he was quarrelsome or bad-tem-
pered or belligerent, but resolute and
ready to espouse a cause and defend it.
He never was afraid to make an issue
either as a boy or as a man, whether with
a Tripolitan, an Englishman, a French-
man, a Spaniard, or a fellow-country-
man ; and, having made it, he was will-
ing to pursue it to the bitter end.
At the age of seventeen he left school
and entered the counting-house of his
father's associates, Messrs. Gurney &
Smith. He had continued his studies
much longer than the ordinary youth
not designed for one of the learned pro-
fessions, and very much longer than any
6 STEPHEl^ DECATUR
of the other early naval officers who
rose to eminence like his. He still con-
tinued his study of mathematics and
navigation^ and his inclination toward
the sea grew stronger. His mother had
cherished the hope that his fiery nature
might be tamed by the yoke of the
priestly surplice and stole, and that he
would expend his energies in fighting
the devil rather than man. But fate
willed otherwise.
The country was then involved in
the troubles which culminated soon
after in the French War. The nation
was not altogether unprepared. Under
the stimulus of Algerine depredations
some time before, in 1794 Congress had
ordered several frigates to be built.
Gurney & Smith, who were the agents
of the navy department in Philadelphia,
where one of the frigates was in course
of building, influenced by the evident
predilection of the young Decatur,
charged him with the responsible duty
STEPHEiS" DECATUE 7
of getting out the keel pieces of what
was afterward the famous ship United
States. The young man entered upon
the work with a zeal begot of his aspira-
tion, and was actually on board the
vessel he subsequently commanded so
successfully^ when she was launched on
July 10^ 1797, the first of the famous
ships of the navy of the United States to
reach the water.
On the breaking out of the war in
1798, his father was commissioned a
captain in the navy, and given com-
mand of the sloop-of-war Delaware.
Decatur's desire for the service became
greater than ever noAv that war was de-
clared, though in dutiful deference to
the feelings of his mother he made no
open application to his father or to the
department, which speaks well for his
powers of self-restraint. Commodore
John Barry, a gallant old Eevolutionary
seaman, who was appointed to command
the naval forces in the "West Indies, and
8 STEPHEN DECATUE
had hoisted his broad pennant on the
United States, was fully conversant with
the situation. Of his own motion, he
applied for and obtained a midship-
man's warrant for the young man, which
was dated April 30, 1798. The consent
of Mrs. Decatur was obtained, and in
May the young midshipman joined the
United States. Being then eighteen
years old, he made what was in those
days a very late entrance upon his life
profession.
In July of the same year the frigate
got under way for her station. Fortune
did not present to the United States such
opportunities for distinction as were en-
joyed by the Constellation under Trux-
tun. No ships of the enemy of a size
which would make an action interesting
were met ; and, beyond capturing a few
privateers and letters- of- marque, noth-
ing of consequence was accomplished,
although they met much heavy weather
and vigilantly patrolled the station,
STEPHEN DEOATUE 9
overhauling everything which showed
itself above the horizon. Commodore
James Barron, afterward so unfortu-
nately noted, was a lieutenant on the
frigate, and performed an act of brill-
iant seamanshix3 on the cruise, by which
he saved the ship from a disastrous
wreck, and made a deep impression
upon every one. During the cruise,
Decatur saved the life of a man, who
had fallen overboard and could not
swim, by leaping after him and support-
ing him until both were rescued. Stew-
art, Somers, Jacob Jones, and others
subsequently eminent were attached to
the United States.
As a school for the young sailor, how-
ever, the cruise was of great value ; and
the assiduity with which Decatur ap-
plied himself to mastering the intricate
duties of a sea officer, coupled with his
natural aptitude for the service, enabled
him to progress so far that after less
than a year in the service he was pro-
10 stephe:^ decatue
moted (provisionally) to tlie rank of
lieutenant by Commodore Barry, and on
June 3, at the expiration of the cruise,
was regularly commissioned in that
rank by President Adams, and ap-
pointed fourth lieutenant of the United
States.
While on recruiting duty in Phila-
delphia in June, 1799, he fought a duel
with the mate of an Indiaman who had
grossly insulted him in a dispute con-
cerning some enlisted men who had en-
deavored to escape the service by joining
the merchant-ship. Decatur had borne
the abusive language of the merchantman
with a reticence and self-control which
augured well for his future; and it
throws an interesting light upon the
spirit of the times to learn that the
challenge, subsequently sent by him,
was issued at the instance of his father.
Decatur, who was a perfect master of his
weapon, publicly announced to his sec-
ond that he would not take the life of
STEPHEN DECATUE 11
his opponent^ but would shoot him in
the hip^ which he calmly proceeded to
do, with a coolness remarkable in a boy
of twenty. He was untouched by his
adversary's bullet.
Shortly afterward he sailed on his
second cruise, still in the United States.
This took him up and down our own coast,
the ship finally conveying the American
envoys to France to treat for the end-
ing of the war. They met with terrific
weather duiing the cruise, but on April
15, 1800, arrived home in safety.
After two weeks spent on shore, De-
catur was transferred to the brig Nor-
folkj 18 guns, and sailed for a third and
equally unsuccessful cruise to the Span-
ish main. Eeturning in December of
the same year, he entered the United
States for a fourth cruise to the West
Indies, which was terminated by the
treaty of peace. Eeturning home in
February, 1801, he was appointed in
May first lieutenant of the frigate
12 STEPHEN DECATUE
UsseXy 38, Captain William Bainbridge,
and sailed with, the squadron of Commo-
dore Dale to the Mediterranean on his
fifth cruise.
II.
From a period antedating tlie dis-
covery of America the Maliometan
States of Tunis, Tripoli, and Algiers,
situated on the southern Mediterranean
littoral, had been accustomed by means
of cruisers, piratical in essence, though
secretly sanctioned by their rulers, to
prey upon the abundant commerce of
the Mediterranean. The profits of this
nefarious traffic had been the chief
source of revenue of the Barbary States.
Most of the great maritime powers, with
a pusillanimity as remarkable as it is
inexplicable, had compounded with
these barbarians, and by payment of
tribute had secured a comparative im-
munity for their trading-vessels. The
United States had followed the example
of older and more supine nations, but,
being weaker than they, had been com-
pelled to pay heavier tribute, and had
received less protection. Inequality in
14 stephe:n^ decatue
apportioning tribute and making pres-
ents to the different potentates who
thrived on this licensed blackmail had
awakened the antagonism of the Bashaw
of Tripoli ; and he had announced his
intention to declare war upon this coun-
try,— a sad decision^ as it turned out^
for that chieftain and his pirates.
When Commodore Dale reached the
Mediterranean with the squadron^ which,
owing to the ignorance of the United
States that the Bashaw had carried out
his foolish threat, had been despatched
merely for purposes of observation, a very
strange situation was discovered. But,
having no discretion in his orders, Dale
confined himself to convoying Ameri-
can merchant-ships, blockading Tripoli-
tan harbors, and showing the flag in all
parts of the eastern Mediterranean, all
of which he did successfully. The only
conflict of imx^ortance that occurred was
the defeat of a large and heavily armed
Tripolitan corsair by the little schooner
Enterpj^ise.
STEPHEN DECATUE 15
The Essex took part in the routine
work of the squadron. On one occasion^
while at anchor in the harbor of Bar-
celona, the officers of a Spanish man-of-
war made themselves so obnoxious to
the Americans, and especially to De-
catur, that the latter sent word to the
Spanish guard-ship one night that he
would call the chief offender to an ac-
count the next day. Accordingly, the
following morning he was rowed to the
ship, mounted to her deck, and, finding
that the offending officer had discovered
discretion the better part of valor, and
had vanished, he told the officer of the
deck that the fugitive was a cowardly
scoundrel, and left a message to the
effect that, if Lieutenant Decatur fell
in with him again, he would cut off his
ears. The Spaniard took good care not
to fall in with the American sailor, thus
preserving his ears ; and the Essex, her
officers and crew, were thereafter unmo-
lested. An apology for the treatment
16 STEPHEIT DECATUR
to wMch they had been subjected was
tendered by the Spanish goyernment to
Captain Bainbridge.
The Msex returned to the United
States in July, 1802 ; and in August of
the same year Decatur, as first lieutenant
of the frigate Weiv TorJc, 36, Commodore
E. V. Morris, Captain James Barron,
returned to the Mediterranean. Morris
relieved Dale with the same indeter-
minate orders as the latter had received.
The New YorJc was actively cruising in
the interests of American commerce
during the year.
A circumstance which illustrates De-
catur's readiness and resource occurred
on this cruise in connection with a duel,
in which he was the second, not the
principal. Midshipman Joseph Bain-
bridge, the youthful brother of the
captain of the JEssex, while the frigate
was at anchor there, was grossly insulted
in the most public manner by a famous
duellist, who was secretary to Sir Alex-
STEPHEN DECATUE 17
ander B^ii^ the Governor of Malta. The
insult %ras Q]2e which was not only di-
recte(i to the yonng midshipman person-
ally, but also cast a slur upon his coun-
^ioj and flag. The incident took place
in the lobby of the theatre, and un-
der great provocation Bainbridge had
knocked the offender down. A chal-
lenge was received by him at once,
which the public opinion of the day
compelled him to accept, of course. In-
deed, it is probable he had no wish to
decline. He had chosen for his second
another midshipman as unskilled as him-
self in duelling ; but, when the matter
came to the ears of Decatur, the first
lieutenant of the ship, he immediately
called Bainbridge to him, and, learning
the circumstances, promptly offered his
services, which were gratefully received.
Availing himself of the right of the
challenged party, Decatur chose pistols
for the weapons and fixed the distance
at four paces, stipulating that he should
)
18 STEPHEN DECA.^xJE
give tlie words ^^Take aim! j^ire!''
and that both, should shoot at th^. word
^^Fire!'' and not before. These i^rms
were objected to^ and ten paces, 1\q
usual distance, urged unavailingly. Tht
second of the challenger stated that a
duel at four paces looked like murder.
''Ho, sir/' replied Decatur, ^4t looks
like death, not like murder. Your
friend is a professed duellist, mine is
wholly inexperienced. I am no duellist
myself, but I am acquainted with the
pistol. If you insist on ten paces, I
will fight your friend at that^istance.''
This proposition was not to the liking
of the Englishmen, and they were finally
forced to accede to the proposed terms.
Decatur gave the words ^^Take aim !''
and, as both antagonists extended their
pistols, he waited until he observed the
hand of the Englishman become un-
steady, and then he gave the word
^^Fire!'' Bainbridge's bullet passed
through the Englishman's hat, while the
STEPHEN DECATXJE 10
latter missed his man entirely. As no
offer of apology or expression of satis-
faction came from tlie aggressor, the
dnel was continued. Decatur cautioned
Bainbridge that he must fire lower ; and
at the second exchange of shots he was
again untouched, while his antagonist
was struck in the face and killed.
This deplorable affair created great
excitement, and the Governor of Malta
demanded that Decatur and Bainbridge
should be delivered for trial. It was
deemed best, therefore, that they should
leave the Mediterranean for a season;
and in March, 1803, by order of Com-
modore Morris, Decatur was transferred
to the frigate Chesapeake^ 36, which Cap-
tain James Barron was ordered to take
home, and he accordingly returned to
the United States as a passenger.
This bloodthirsty episode strikes us
with horror at this day ; but it is due
to the memory of Decatur to say that
duels, especially among naval officers,
20 stephe:s^ deoatue
were extremely common at that time.
Scarcely any naval officer of importance
but had been ^^ouf several times^ and
the list of officers of the early navy-
shows many a name which bears after it
the ominous words^ ^^ killed in a duel.''
Indeed^ I think that more of the officers
were killed in duels than in aQtion with
the enemy prior to the War of 1812;
and it must not be forgotten that so
noble and high-souled a man as Alex-
ander Hamilton^ who comes very near
being the greatest of Americans^ lost his
life in a duel.
' Decatur was regarded with no dis-
favor by the authorities for this advent-
ure, in which he certainly saved the
life of BainbridgCj a young boy opposed
,to a veteran duellist ; and after a lapse
of time he actually enjoyed the friend-
ship of that very Governor of Malta, one
of Nelson's captains, to escape from
whose insistence he had returned to the
United States. At that governor's table
STEPHEN DECATUE 21
also contracted a friendsMp for
.icridgCj wlio seems to have been
iuch attracted by the young man.
j'our months after his return home he
yas given command of the brig Argons,
18^ his first command. He was ordered
to take the brig to the Mediterra-
nean^, and, reporting to Commodore
Preble, successor to Commodore Morris,
transfer the Argus to Lieutenant Isaac
Hull. Upon arriving at the station, he
took command of the schooner Enter-
prise, of twelve light guns.
Preble ha^d received instructions to
carry the war into Africa, and he em-
ployed the winter months in making
preparations for a vigorous attack when
the mild spring weather permitted. On
December 23, 1803, just after Decatur
assumed command of her, the Enterprise
captured the ketch Mastico, 4 guns and
70 men, bearing a cargo of female slaves
as a present to the Sultan of Turkey.
The boat had an impressive history. She
22 STEPHEIS^ DECATUR
had been a French bomb-vessel, and was
captured by the English at Aboukir and
by them presented to the Tripolitans.
The English, by the way, through the
payment of a large tribute, backed up
by a frowning force of ships and guns,
enjoyed an immunity from the depreda-
tions of the Barbary pirates which other
powers did not have. Consequently,
the bulk of the Mediterranean trade
was carried in English bottoms. This
probably expresses the reason for the ex-
traordinary complaisance of the English
toward these rovers.
The fine frigate Philadelphia^ which
had been first commanded by Decatur's
father, the old commodore, and more
recently by William Bainbridge, had
been ordered to blockade Tripoli.
While chasing hard in shore, she had
run upon a rock. After having been
lightened by the cutting away of her
foremast and by throwing overboard
her battery in a vain attempt to get her
STEPHEN DECATUE 23
off, she was captured by a swarm of Tri-
politan gunboats on October 31. Her
crew, comprising three hundred and
fifteen officers and men, were of course
made prisoners. The Tripolitans had
afterward succeeded in floating the
FMladel])hia, and, after raising and re-
mounting her guns, had towed her into
the harbor. This serious loss left Preble
with only the Constitution and a few
small brigs and schooners with which to
carry on the war. The Tripolitans were
busily engaged in refitting the frigate
which the fortune of war, through no
[fault of her captain, had thrown into
their hands ; and the opening of the
campaign would find the odds,' which
iwere already heavily against the Ameri-
cans, so seriously increased as to make
.itheir position desperate. It became
1 1 necessary, therefore, to recapture or
rjdestroy the Philadelphia.
i 1 When the American squadron sailed
I bast the harbor early in December, she
24 STEPHEN DECATUR
was plainly visible under the Tripolitan
flag — a bitter sight for our officers and
men. Decatur had at once volunteered
to cut her out with the Enterprise^
although she was not a suitable vessel
for the purpose. His fortunate capt-
ure of the Mastico, however, provided a
boat which could be used. The design
seems to have occurred simultaneously
to several other American officers ; for
there has rarely been under the Ameri-
can flag a squadron in which the quality
of the officers and men was so high as in
that commanded by Preble, himself a
most gallant and accomplished officer.
It was the best possible school for the
American E'avy ; and nearly every man
who subsequently distinguished himself
in the larger war with England had
enjoyed ridh experience in the Mediter-
ranean, and learned the rules of the grim
game in the best way — by playing it.
Decatur's claim received consideration
from its priority ; and his appeal.
stephe:n^ decatue 25
seconded by a suggestive letter received
from the captive Bainbridge, at last
won an assent from Preble. Having
given his consent, Preble laid his plans
with characteristic provision^ as the fol-
lowing order will show :
United States Frigate '^ Constitution,"
^.^ Syracuse Harbor, January 31, 1804.
You are hereby ordered to take com-
mand of the prize ketch, which I have
named the Intrepid, and prepare her
with all possible despatch for a cruise of
thirty-five days, with full allowance of
water and provisions for seventy-five
men. I shall send you five midshipmen
from the Constitution, and you will take
seventy men, including officers, from
the Enterprise, if that number can be
found ready to volunteer their services
for boarding and burning the Fhiladel-
pliia, in the harbor of Tripoli : if not,
report to me, and I will furnish you
with men to complete your comple-
26 STEPHEN DECATUE
ment. It is expected you will be ready
to sail to-morrow evening, or some hours
sooner, if the signal is ready for that
purpose.
It is my order that you proceed to
Tripoli, in company with the Siren,
Lieutenant Stewart, enter that harbor
in the night, board the FMladelphia,
burn her, and make good your retreat
with the Intrepid, if possible, unless you
can make her the means of destroying the
enemy's vessels in the harbor, by con-
verting her into a fire-ship for that pur-
pose, and retreating in your boats, and
those af the Siren. You must take fixed
ammunition and apparatus for the frig-
ate's eighteen-pounders ; and if you can,
without risking too much, you may en-
deavor to make them the instruments of
destruction to the shipping and Bashaw's
Castle. You will provide all the neces-
sary combustibles for burning and de-
stroying ships. The destruction of the
FMladelphia is an object of great impor-
STEPHE]Sr DECATUE 27
tance^ and I rely with confidence on
your intrepidity and enterprise to effect
it. Lieutenant Stewart will support you
with the boats of the Siren, and cover
your retreat with that vessel. Be sure
and set fire in the gun-room berths,
cockpitj store-rooms forward, and berths
on the berth- deck.
After the ship is well on fire, point
two of the eighteen-pounders, shotted,
down the main hatch, and blow her
bottom out. I enclose you a memo-
randum of the articles, arms, ammuni-
tion, and fireworks necessary and which
you are to take with you. Eeturn to
this place as soon as possible, and report
to me your proceedings. On boarding
the frigate, it is probable you may meet
with resistance. It will be well, in
order to prevent alarm, to carry all by
the sword. May God prosper you in
this enterprise.
I have the honor to be. Sir, your obe-
dient servant, Edward Peeble.
1
28 stephe:^ decatue
Owing to stress of weather^ tlie Mas-
ticOj now named the Intrepid^ did not set
sail from Syracuse until February 3^
1804^ the order having been withheld
until that date to preserve secrecy. In
accordance with his orders^ Decatur had
asked for volunteers from the Enterprise.
Every living soul on the ship had clam-
ored to be taken. The party, as finally
made up, included all the lieutenants
of the little schooner, — James Lawrence,
Joseph Bainbridge, Jonathan Thorn, —
Surgeon Heerman, and Midshipman Mac-
Donough, late of the Philadelphia^ who
had escaped capture through having
been on detached service when she was
lost, and Midshipmen Izard, Eowe,
Lewis, Davis, and Charles Morris from
the Constitution^ with a Sicilian pilot
named Salvatore Catalino, and sixty-
three seamen from the Enterprise. To
these were added, subsequently. Midship-
man Anderson and eight men from the
Siren. Three days after their departure,
STEPHEN DECATUE 29
late in tlie afternoon, the Intrepid and
the Siren appeared before Tripoli.
The wind was rising and the sea
breaking over the bar with such force
that Morris and the pilots after recon-
noitring, reported that the entrance was
impracticable. The two vessels, there-
fore, beat ont to sea under a tremen-
dous gale, which lasted a week. The
situation on the Intrepid was critical.
There were no accommodations for the
officers and men, the boat afforded no
adequate shelter from the inclemency
of the weather, and the provisions were
spoiled, besides which the ship was in-
fested with vermin. The hardest part
of their adventure was during that week.
At the end of the week, the gale having
abated, the two vessels again made for
the harbor, the Intrepid being in the
lead. On the evening of February 16
the Intrepid once more gained the en-
trance. The arrangement had been for
her to wait until dark for the boats of
30 STEPHEIf DECATUE
the Siren to support the attack ; but the
Siren was some distance away, and Deca-
tur was fearful that if he delayed he
might lose the opportunity presented
by a calm moonlight night and a fair
breeze. So, without hesitation, he sent
the Intrepid into the harbor.
The captured Philadelphia lay at
anchor and swinging to the wind well
within the harbor. A comparison of
force brings into high relief the daring
of Decatur. The harbor and city of
Tripoli were defended by the Bashaw's
Castle and a number of scientifically
constructed batteries, mounting in all
over one hundred and fifteen heavy
modern guns and numberless smaller
pieces of ordnance, and garrisoned by
twenty-five thousand soldiers. In addi-
tion to the land fortifications, three
smart cruisers (brigs or schooners), two
large row-galleys, and nineteen gun-
boats were moored in an irregular
crescent-shaped formation, with the frig-
STEPHEN DECATUE 31
ate in the centre and the opening of
the crescent turned toward the mouth
of the harbor. To sum up, counting
the batteries and crews of the naval
force, in conjunction with the forts,
there were on the side of the Tripolitans
over two hundred heavy guns, twenty-
five war- vessels, and nearly thirty thou-
sand men, in positions of their own
choosing. To oppose this force, Decatur
had one small, fifty-ton bomb-ketch,
filled with combustibles and manned
with eighty-four men armed with cut-
lasses ! No wonder the Tripolitans kept
careless watch and negligent guard. A
cutting- out expedition was the last thing
they dreamed of. In the stupendous
audacity of the attack lay its hope of
success.
As the Intrepid entered the mouth of
the harbor, the fitful wind freshened ;
a.nd, as it was still too early for attack,
it became necessary to cast drags astern
■jO diminish speed, for to shorten sail
32 STEPHEN DECATUE
would have attracted attention and
awakened suspicion. Slowly, therefore,
the little boat, with her dauntless cargo
of daring tars, swept up the harbor.
The shades of evening descended, lights
appeared here and there in the shipping
or in the town, battle-lanterns were
kindled on the decks of the FMladelphia.
Trumpet-calls, or the bells on the ships
striking the hour, rang out over the still
water, and were wafted by the sweet
and gentle breeze into the strained ears
of the American sailors. Presently the
noises in the town died away. On the
ships the anchor- watches were set, the
guards posted on the walls, and the little
world sank to rest in quiet slumber, soon
to be rudely interrupted.
It was striking five bells (half-past ten
o'clock) when the Intrepid arrived
within hailing distance of the FMla-
delpMa. Decatur ordered the head of
the ketch pointed for the frigate's bow,
intending to lay his boat athwart the
STEPHEN DECATUE 33
ship and board thence. The men^ with
the exception of the captain^ the pilot
and a few seamen in Sicilian costume^
and a grim and grizzled veteran at the
helm, were, by Decatur's orders, lying
crouched down on the deck, concealed
behind the low rail.
What must have been their thoughts
during the whole advance, and espe-
cially during the last few moments !
Home, friends, mother, sweetheart,
duty, God — God and their captain —
passed through their minds in rapid suc-
cession. Enforced inaction before a
crisis is a supreme test of courage : to
wait is harder than to do. Trembling
hands tightened over nervous hearts,
fingers gripped the hilt of trusty blades,
breaths came shorter ; but, under the
influence of an iron discipline, they
looked to their young commander, stand-
ing cool, composed, and ready by the
wheel, and took new courage in silence.
Not a sound was made. The men lay
34 STEPHEN DECATUR
motionless at their stations^ almost hear-
ing their heart-beats as, ghostlike, they
drifted in.
The tension was broken by the sound
of a sharp hail of interrogation from the
frigate. Catalino answered that they
were traders from Malta, who, having
lost their anchors in the recent storm,
wished to ride by the PMladelpMa (Le,,
attach their boat to the frigate's cables)
till the morning.
This not unusual request was granted
at once with a ready kindness soon to be
ill-requited. But the Siren in the ofilng
had awakened attention, and now be-
came the subject of inquiry. The pilot
— who, by Decatur's direction, contin-
ued to amuse the few visible Tripolitans
with sea gossip in the lingua Franca of
the Mediterranean — informed them that
she was the schooner Transfer, lately
presented to the Bashaw by the British,
and known to be off the coast and hourly
expected, and suspicion was allayed.
STEPHEJS" DECATUR 35
At this moment the dying wind
utterly failed them ; and they lay aback
and motionless under the frowning
muzzles of the heavy battery of the
frigate, not twenty yards away. If they
were recognized, they were lost ! The
guns were double-shotted : one broad-
side would have sunk them. With mar-
vellous coolness Decatur calmly gave the
orders necessary to extricate the Intrepid
from her perilous position ; but, before
they could be carried out, the ketch
gathered steerageway again, and the
Siren's boat, swinging astern, was
manned, and sent to the ship carrying
a line, which was made fast to the port
sheet cable. The Tripolitans also sent a
boat with a line from the stern of the
Philadelphia; but with great presence
of mind the American boat, under Mid-
shipman Anderson, had intercepted the
other, and, taking the line into their
own boat, had made it fast to the first
one, and, returning to the Intrepid^
36 stephe:n^ decatuk
passed it inboard. The men, now lying
on their backs, seized it without rising,
and by lusty hauling breasted the ketch
rapidly in toward the frigate.
As the Intreind drew nearer, the
Tripolitan commander saw in the moon-
light that her anchors were hanging over
her bows. Indignant at the deception,
he directed the fasts cut and ordered her
to sheer off. At the same instant and
before he could be obeyed, the crowd of
men on the decks of the ketch were dis-
covered. The wild cry, ^^ Americanos !
Americanos ! ' ' rang out over the water.
ITecessity for concealment being at an
end, the men sprang to their feet and
hauled away lustily. With another tre-
mendous surge the ketch struck the
broadside of the frigate. Grapnels were
thrown at once.
^^ Boarders away ! '' cried Decatur, all
the repressed emotion of the moment
finding vent in his voice.
The captain and young Morris sprang
STEPHEN DECATUE 37
for the main chains. Midshipman Laws
attempted to dash throngh an open port ;
but Decatur's foot slipped, the pistol in
Laws' s belt caught between the port sill
and the gun muzzle, and Midshipman
Charles Morris was the first American
to stand on the deck of the FMladelphia,
A moment after the captain and the
rest, sword in hand, came pouring over
the rail or through the gun-ports. In a
twinkling a line was formed ; and the
men, led by their officers, threw them-
selves upon their startled enemy.
All was confusion and alarm on the
frigate. Her officers and men came
rushing from below, only to be cut down
before they realized what had happened.
Eeputed among the best hand-to-hand
fighters in the world, they could not
brook the American onslaught; and
after a brief resistance, in which over
twenty were killed, they broke and fled.
Most of them leaped overboard, to be
drowned or killed by Anderson and the
38 STEPHEN DECATUE
Siren? s boat crew ; but many, hoping to
evade notice, ran below, and concealed
themselves in the dim recesses of the
devoted ship, where a worse doom than
death by water or steel awaited them.
A similar and equally successful attack
had been pressed home by Lawrence,
Bainbridge, and MacDonough on the
gun- deck and below. Only the watch-
word ^^Philadelphia '' had prevented the
Americans from attacking one another,
so swift and easy had been their triumph.
Within ten minutes Decatur captured
the ship. Not an American had even
been wounded !
To have brought out the frigate would
have crowned their capture, and Decatur
would have given all he possessed to
have attempted it. Some officers have
believed that he could have done so, but
it is hard to see how. The foremast had
not been replaced, the topmasts were
housed, the yards were lying across the
bulwarks, not a sail was bent. Besides,
his orders were peremptory.
STEPHEN DECATUE 39
The combustibles on the ketch were
passed on board ; and^ as Decatur reluc-
tantly gave the commandj the different
parties sprang to their appointed sta-
tions, and, arranging the inflammable
matter, applied the torch. So thor-
oughly was the work done and so rapidly
did the ship burn that those below were
nearly cut off by the furious blaze. In
less than thirty minutes the Philadelphia
was on fire in every direction.
The men now sprang back to the
Intrepidj Decatur being the last to gain
her decks. The bow-fast they hurriedly
cut, grapnels were cast off, sweeps
manned, and every endeavor made to
get clear. But the Intrepid unaccount-
ably clung to the frigate. The flames
roared through the ports, broad sheets
of fire played over the ketch. All
the powder for the expedition, cov-
ered only by a tarpaulin, was lying on
the open deck, there being no magazine
to receive it ; and sparks were already
40 STEPHBI^ DECATUE
falling on tlie tarred canvas. "What was
the matter? Oh, the forgotten stern
line was still fast ! Decatur and others
sprang on the taffrail, heedless of dan-
ger, and, with flame and smoke playing
around them, hacked away at the line
with their swords. "When it parted
under the strain of the men tugging at
the great oars, the Intrepid fairly leaped
from the side of the frigate. A few
strokes carried them a little farther
away. Then they stopped rowing, and
for the first time cheered like mad, with
the pent-up feeling of the great half-
hour of high endeavor thrilling in their
Avild voices.
The Tripolitans, too, had awakened to
life. EoUing drums, wild cries and
shouts, trumpet-calls and alarms came
from the ships and forts and town. Sud-
denly a flash of light leaped through the
night, the deep boom of a heavy gun re-
verberated over the water : one of the
FMladelpMa^s main batteries, discharged
STEPHEN DECATUE 41
by the intense heat, had sent a mes-
senger of death into the city. As if that
were a signal, the forts, batteries and
shipping opened a tremendous can-
nonade on the Intrepid, Seizing the
oars again the men fled from the har-
bor. They were in different spirits from
those of a few honrs before : they had
been tried in as desperate an under-
taking as ever fell to the lot of men
and they had conquered. Bullets, solid
shot, shell, grape screamed and sang
about them and tore the water into jets
of foam on either side ; but none harmed
them, though they presented a fair tar-
get, for the burning frigate behind them
made the harbor as light as day.
A beautiful, if melancholy picture
was presented by the great ship. Dry
as tinder from her long tropic cruise, she
burned like paper : her sides were broad
sheets of flame, each mast and spar was
outlined in a fire column with a rosy
capital of wavering and mysterious
42 STEPHE:sr DECATUE
beauty. Her heated guns went oflf in
rapid succession until finally her cables
parted and she drifted toward the shore.
When just before the castle she blew up
with a stunning explosion^ which rent
the heaven and surfaced the sky with
fire. A moment of appalling silence,
of deep darkness, supervened. It was
broken by the crash of the batteries re-
suming the futile cannonade.
But the little Intrepid was beyond
reach now. As the roar of the guns
died away she disappeared in the dark-
ness of the night overshadowing the har-
bor. The moon had set. The wind rose.
The watchers on the Sirenj who had lost
sight of the ketch, waited with beating
hearts, eagerly scanning the sea. Their
burning anxiety was relieved when a
boat, their own, dashed alongside, and
the manly figure of Decatur, clad in the
rough jacket of a sailor, grimed and
stained with battle-smoke, sprang on
board, triumphantly announcing their
safe return.
STEPHEN DECATUE 43
Every writer who has told this tale of
consurainate gallantry has dwelt lov-
ingly on a comment reported to have
been made by Lord Nelson, then engaged
in that magnificent blockade of Toulon
with his fleet. The great captain is al-
leged to have characterized the exploit
as ^^the most bold and daring act of the
age.'' I am unable to find authority
for the statement ; but, inasmuch as it is
essentially true and what if elson might
properly have said, if he said anything,
it is here set down as a just summary of
the heroic undertaking.
Two days later, on February 18, the
Intrepid and the Siren reached Syracuse,
when, after rex3orting his success to the
astonished and delighted Preble, De-
catur resumed command of the Enter-
prise. Preble immediately despatched
an official report to the navy depart-
ment, detailing the successful undertak-
ing in glowing terms, and recommending
that Decatur be ]3romoted to a cap-
44 STEPHEJ^r DECATUE
taincy. That this recommendation was
made with the hearty concurrence of all
the officers senior to him in rank, whose
station would be affected by his promo-
tion, speaks volumes for the estimation
in which Decatur was held by those who
knew him best.
ni.
The intervening time having been
spent by Preble in careful preparation,
he set sail the latter part of July, 1804,
in the Constitution, accompanied by his
brigs and schooners, together with six
gunboats and two bombards, which, with
about one hundred N^eapolitans, had been
added to his force by the King of the
Two Sicilies, who was also nominally at
war with Tripoli. As usual, the attack-
ing force met with heavy weather off the
harbor of Tripoli. The gunboats, which
were small, flat-bottomed vessels of about
twenty-five tons' burthen, each carry-
ing one long twenty-four pounder and
manned by forty men, were very unsea-
worthy. They were in tow of the Con-
stitution and larger vessels, and in the
violent storm were almost swamped ;
but, through the tenacity of the Ameri-
can sailors and the exercise of good sea-
manship, none of them were lost.
46 STEPHEN DECATUE
On the morning of August 3, the
gale having somewhat abated^ the first
attack was delivered. The Tripolitan
gunboats were massed in two divisions
of nine each^ supported by the cruisers
and batteries. To assault these, Preble
divided his gunboats in two divisions of
three each, one of which was com-
manded by Somers and the other by
Decatur. With Decatur were MacDon-
ough and Thorn. The boat following
Decatur was commanded by Sailing-
master John Trippe with Midshipman
Henly. The last boat was commanded
by Joseph Bainbridge.
The sea was running heavily outside
the harbor, and the wind blew in such
a direction as to make it difficult to
clear the entrance. Decatur's division,
being to windward, succeeded through
close watching in making the harbor ,-
the division under Somers, unfortu-
nately placed, was not able to weather
the point and had to go about. The
STEPHEN DECATUR 47
Tripolitans began firing at once from
the forts and shipping^ and a shot carry-
ing away the yard of Bainbridge's boat
put it permanently out of action that
day, to the great chagrin of its young
commander. Its place was taken, how-
ever, by a very weatherly vessel of
Somers's division, which, under the com-
mand of Decatur's brother James, had
managed to eat her way up to wind-
ward, and join Decatur's division.
Somers, with great gallantry, attacked
with his single gunboat the western
division of the Tripolitans, and, sup-
ported by his remaining boat, main-
tained his position of great peril until
extricated by the ships of the squadron
which were now all hotly engaged.
At this juncture Preble would fain
have recalled his gunboats, but it was
found that no signal for retreat had been
agreed upon. In any case, Decatur,
half expecting a command to retire,
resolutely kept his back turned to the
48 STEPHEN DECATUE
Constitution, Meanwhile his division
dashed at the Tripolitans. They were
received by a fierce fire from the gun-
boats and their auxiliaries, which cut
the water in every direction about them,
but did no material damage. The fire
was returned by the Americans. De-
catur had loaded the long gun in the
bow with a thousand musket-balls, which
were despatched at close range into the
mass of the Mahometans, doing great
execution. In the confusion the Ameri-
cans darted upon the nearest gunboats.
As with the FMladelpliia, Decatur had
determined to carry things by boarding,
and to that end had previously housed
his bowsprit, and ordered the other gun-
boats to follow his example. The Tri-
I)olitans, numbering nearly fifty men,
made a frantic resistance ; but Decatur
and his men would not be denied. The
twenty-three Americans, led by their
captain, poured over the bow, leaving
the twelve l^eapolitans to man the gun-
STEPHEN DECATUE SI
boat. After a brief melee forward witli
cutlass, pike, and boarding-axe against
scimitar and lance, tlie Tripolitans were
driven to the stern, where they rallied.
A wide-open hatchway amidships sepa-
rated the two parties. Discharging
their pistols without a moment's hesita-
tion, Decatur and his men dashed along
the narrow gangway on one side, Mac-
Donough and Thorn emulated his attack
on the other, and in a short time the
gunboat was captured. The Tripoli-
tans lost heavily in killed and wounded.
Eight men were taken prisoners, and
the remainder escaped overboard. De-
catur took his prize in tow, and, seeing
the other Tripolitans fleeing, prepared
to return to the Constitution.
Meanwhile the other gunboats had not
been idle. Sailing-master John Trippe
made for the largest of the enemy's
boats which happened to be nearest
him. The boats exchanged shots as they
approached each other, then Trippe and
4.^ STEPHEK DECATUE
Henly and nine men boarded the Tri-
politan. Before the rest of the crew
could follow the wash of the sea sepa-
rated the two boats ; and Trippe and
his men found themselves face to face
with five times their number of the
enemy. Instant offence was their only
safety. Without a moment's hesitation
the Americans dashed at their antago-
nists^ and a conflict of the fiercest descrip-
tion ensued. Trippe singled out the
Tripolitan commander^ and engaged him
in a hand-to-hand fight. The Mahome-
tan was a gigantic man^ and accustomed
to this method of fighting. In the battle
that ensued he wounded Trippe no less
than eleven timeS; finally breaking his
sword and beating him to his knees.
While in that position and before he
could be cut down by the man^ the gal-
lant American^ who was a small^ slender
man^ seized a half-pike from the deck,
and by a desperate upward thrust im-
paled his huge antagonist just as Marine
STEPHE:N" DECATUR 51
Sergeant Meredith^ by a vicious bayonet
thrust, pinned to the mast another cor-
sair who was about to finish the Ameri-
can. With the death of their leader,
resistance ceased ; and those of the Tri-
politans who were able to do so leaped
overboard, and fled. Eleven Americans
had actually killed fourteen Tripolitans,
— they had struck to kill, evidently,-—
severely wounded seven and captured
twenty-two! Trippe's gunboat now
came up again and took the prize in
tow.
The third gunboat, under Decatur's
brother James, had engaged as gallantly
as the other two. Eanging alongside a
Tripolitan, after a discharge of musket-
balls from the long gun, he poured in a
heavy pistol fire, when the fiag of the
corsair was struck. Her commander
determined to effect his escape by
treachery, despairing of the result of
open fighting. Therefore, when the un-
suspicious American, followed by some
52 STEPHEI^ DECATUE
of his crewj clambered up to take pos-
session of the surrendered boat, the Tri-
politan commander fired his pistol at
young Decatur's head, and he fell back
senseless in his boat. Before the Amer-
icans could recover from this treachery,
the Tripolitans had thrown out their
sweeps, and under sails and oars went
flying up the harbor.
Decatur, with his prize in tow, now
ranged alongside his brother's boat.
Learning of the treacherous murder, he
immediately cast off his prize, leaving
Thorn and a half-dozen men in charge,
set sail, sent his crew to the oars, and
went after the fleeing Trij)olitan with
the grim word ^^ revenge" beating in
his heart. The uncaptured gunboats of
the enemy were flying in every direc-
tion, i)ursued by the shot of the war-
ships at the mouth of the harbor, which
sunk three by the way, and cleared the
decks of several more. A well- aimed
discharge from the long gun in the bow
STEPHEI^ DECATUE 53
of Decatur's boat threw the Tripolitans
into confusion, and even under the in-
spiration of their dire terror at the dis-
covered treachery they were unable to
distance their relentless pursuers.
Decatur smashed into the Tripolitan ;
and, amid a discharge of pistols and
musketry, the Americans, comprising
himself, MacDonough, and nine men,
boarded and engaged sharply. Sword
in hand, Decatur sprang at the Tripoli-
tan leader, who, like the man with
whom Trippe had engaged, was of Her-
culean build — much larger than De-
catur. The corsair thrust viciously at
him with his espontoon ; but Decatur
parried the blow and attempted to cut
off the head of the lance by striking the
wooden shaft. But the blow fell on the
iron head and the cutlass broke short
off at the hilt. Decatur thrust at the
man's face, and sprang toward him ; but,
before he could close, the Turk gave him
another thrust, which wounded him in
54 stephe:n' dbcatue
the arm and side. In the next second
the men clasped in a deadly death-
grapple. Over the decks they rolled,
among the struggling men ; for the
Americans had joined battle with the
pirates in the same spirit as their leader.
Presently Decatur's foot slipped j and he
fell in the midst of the mass of struggling
men, the Tripolitan on top of him. The
Turk seized him by the throat with his
left hand, while with the right he drew
a short, pointed knife from his sash and
lifted it in the air to stab the American.
With a violent effort, Decatur caught
the descending right arm with his own
left hand, straining him so closely to his
breast that he could not strike ; and,
drawing a small pistol from his pocket,
he reached his right arm along back of
the Tripolitan, and pointed his weapon
at a vital spot. Eegardless of the fact
that the bullet might wound him af-
ter passing through the Tripolitan, he
pulled the trigger. The man immedi-
STEPHEN DECATUR 55
ately fell dead upon him, the yataghan
dropping from his nerveless grasp.
As Decatur rolled him off and strug-
gled to his feet; another Tripolitan made
a vicious cut at his unprotected body
with a scimitar. It shows the love in
which Decatur was held by his men and
exemplifies the heroic quality of Ameri-
can seamen to learn that a humble sailor
named Eeuben James, though both of
his arms had been rendered useless by
wounds received in this struggle, saw
the descending blow, sprang between
the sword and his captain, and received
the stroke in his own head, while one
of the other men immediately cut down
the Tripolitan. James, though badly
wounded, recovered, and remained with
Decatur throughout his whole career.
This ended the resistance. The das-
tardly treachery which had taken the life
of his beloved brother was avenged, but
his triumph in the capture of these boats
in this hand-to-hand conflict was sadly
56 STEPHEI^ DECATTJE
dimmed by the murder of the bright
and brilliant lad he had cherished.
In the two boats captured by Decatur,
thirty-three officers and men had been
killed, nineteen were badly wounded,
and eight had been taken prisoners.
No one had been captured on the second
boat. An unknown number had sought
safety in flight overboard. The total
loss of the Americans was one killed
(Decatur's brother James) and thirteen
wounded. The Tripolitans never after
ventured upon a hand-to-hand fight.
It was a melancholy procession which,
with its three prizes, gained the Constitu-
tion. Commodore Preble sent his own
barge to bring the dying officer to the
ship. Young Decatur died on the way.
He was buried the next morning from
the gangway of the Constitution, and
sleeps beneath the blue of the Mediter-
ranean. ^^I would rather,'' said De-
catur sadly to young Charles Morris, as
they stood together looking at the face
STEPHEN DECATUE 57
of their dead brother and friend, ^^see
him thus than living with any cloud on
his conduct." In the light of this mel-
ancholy ending of a young life full of
promise we can understand the meaning
of the Spartan words spoken at a later
day by the old commodore in Phila-
delphia: ^^Our children, they are the
property of their country."
This fight has been called the ^^ biggest
little fight ' ' in history, and the name is
well chosen. What Preble thought of
Decatur's conduct is indicated in the
following order : —
The commodore deeply regrets the death of
the brave Lieutenant James Decatur, who
nobly fell at the moment he had obliged an
enemy of superior force to strike to him.
The very distinguished judgment and intre-
pidity of Captain Decatur in leading his division
of gunboats into action, in boarding, capturing,
and bringing out from under the enemy's bat-
teries two of their gunboats, each of superior
force, is particularly gratifying to the commo-
dore ; and Captain Decatur will please to accept
his thanks.
58 STEPHEN DECATUR
During tlie remainder of tlie summer,
Decatur saw mucli service. On August
7 he and Somers commanded tlie gun-
boats in the second attack on the bat-
teries of Tripoli, and on that day he
received his commission as captain, then
the highest attainable rank in the United
States Is^avy, dated May 22, 1804, and
taking effect from February 16, the date
of the destruction of the Philadelphia.
At the same time, the rank of master
commandant having been revived, many
of the other officers were deservedly
promoted. They all rejoiced in De-
catur's advancement. There was no
jealousy in the little squadron ; and, like
Nelson, Preble commanded a band of
brothers. On his departure for the
United States, he recorded with pride
that during his tour of duty there had
been neither a duel nor a court-martial
in the squadron. With conspicuous
gallantry and efficiency, Decatur and
Somers led the gunboats in the subse-
stephe:n^ decatue 59
quent attacks on Tripoli on August 24
and 28 and September 3^ which put an
end to campaigning for the season.
When Preble was relieved by Commo-
dore Barron, his senior in rank, with
large re-enforcements of frigates,^ sloops-
of-war, and gunboats, he turned over
the command of the great Constitu-
tion to Decatui', the youngest captain in
the service. Think of it ! Captain of
the Constitution at the age of twenty-
five !
After retaining command of this great
ship until the opening of the year 1805,
just before the termination of the war,
which, barring negotiations, had been
practically settled by Preble, Decatur
was transferred to the Congress, 36,
and sailed for home, taking a Tunisian
envoy with him. The ship stopped
at l^orfolk ; and there the young captain
had the good fortune to meet Miss
Susan Wheeler, the beautiful and ac-
complished daughter of the mayor of
60 STEPHEN DECATUE
that city. EeacMng Philadelpliia, De-
catur was everywhere received with en-
thusiasm. Congress^ which had already
honored Preble by a medal and sword,
voted a sword to Decatur ; and many
banquets and receptions were given in
his honor.
The naval authorities, with the cruel
and criminal policy of those days, im-
mediately reduced the navy when peace
was declared ; but Decatur, of course,
was retained in the service. On March
8, 1806, he married Miss Wheeler. The
union, though it was not blessed with
children, proved one of the happiest on
record. Decatur was soon employed
in superintending the building of the
wretched gunboats which, it was confi-
dently hoped — by those who knew little
about it — would take the place of
the regularly equipped ships -of- war.
He was afterward stationed at Newport,
and still later he commanded the Navy
Yard at Norfolk. In 1808 he was as-
STEPHEN DEOATUE 61
signed to the frigate Chesapeake, 36, in
command of the Southern station, in
succession to Commodore Barron, who
had been suspended for five years for
unpreparedness for action when the
British frigate Leopard forcibly took
from his vessel three alleged deserters.
In 1810 he shifted his flag to the famous
frigate United States, which was still un-
der his command when the War of 1812
broke out. During the long period of
peace he had applied himself assiduously
to study, not only in matters connected
with the technicalities of his intricate
profession, but in many other depart-
ments of polite learning as well, so that
he became, through his perseverance
and natural aptitude, one of the most
cultivated and accomplished gentlemen
of his time.
IV.
The failure of the British, government
to observe the terms of its treaty with
this country^ the pernicious effect upon
our commerce of their Orders in Coun-
cil^ but; most of all; the arrogance of
the British Navy on the sea^ ^^the right
of search/' the utterly unreasonable
character of their claims of dominion,
their repeated seizure of men — Ameri-
can citizens at that — from the decks of
our ships on the plea that they were
British subjects^ their entire disregard
of our flagj and their open contempt for
America and Americans finally led to
a declaration of war on June 18, 1812.
On June 21 the squadron of American
ships, under the command of Commodore
Eodgers — to which the United States,
still commanded by Decatur, had been
attached — got to sea. After a cruise in
which they chased the Belvidera, capt-
ured a number of merchant- vessels^ but
STEPHEN DECATUE 63
effected notMng else of consequence,
they returned to the United States,
and on October 8 set sail for a sec-
ond cruise. When four days out, the
United States and the Argus parted com-
pany with the rest of the squadron ;
and a few days later the frigate sep-
arated from the brig, and pursued her
cruise alone.
With characteristic boldness, Decatur
headed eastward for the frequented
waters of Europe. On the morning of
Sunday, October 25, 1812, at sunrise,
the American ship, then being in lati-
tude 29^ N., longitude 29^ 30' W.,
sighted a sail forward and to windward
about a dozen miles distant, on the op-
posite tack. The morning was bright
and clear, and the breeze steady and
strong. Sail was at once made in pur-
suit of the stranger, who seemed in no
wise inclined to avoid an interview, as
her course was changed and she ran off
free, and came lasking down toward the
64 STEPHEI^ DEOATUE
American. In spite of the fresli breeze,
studding-sails were set on both, ships,
so that the distance between them was
rapidly diminished. When they had
drawn sufficiently near, it was apparent
to each that the other was a heavy
ship -of- war. Strenuous efforts were
made by both commanders to gain,
or keep, the weather-gauge, at present
enjoyed by the English ship. But the
utmost skill on the part of the Amer-
ican commander, and the brilliant way
in which his crew carried out his or-
ders and put the ship through evolu-
tion after evolution to that end, did
not avail to wrest the initial superi-
ority of position from the British vessel,
which proved herself a much faster and
more weatherly boat than the United
States, The masterly manner in which
the American ship was handled awak-
ened the highest admiration on the
part of the English officers and of those
older sailors who could be counted
STEPHEN DECATTJE 65
upon to know a seaman when they saw
one.^
For the last fi^^e years she had been
under Decatur's continuous command.
Many of his officers and men had been
with him for the whole of that period^
and some of them had even been asso-
ciated with him in the Tripolitan
cruises. Captain^ officers, and men
knew each other thoroughly ; and they
knew the ship as well. They had
worked and drilled together until every-
thing went like clock-work. Particular
attention, as events will show, had been
paM to gunnery.
The Macedonian^ which was the name
* The United States, subsequently reputed one
of the fastest ships in the world, was at that
time not remarkable for speed, and was consid-
ered one of the slowest of American frigates.
A singular accident some years afterward de-
termined her sailing qualities. Through care-
lessness and oversight, on one occasion, she left
port very much down by the head. Before the
crew could shift the ballast, it came on to blow
severely, whereupon she developed sailing qual-
66 STEPHEN DECATUE
of ttie sMp rapidly swooping down on
tliem^ was a magnificent modern English
frigate. She was scarcely two years old,
and had recently come ont of dry dock.
All the improvements that the science
and experience of the time conld sug-
gest had been applied to perfect her
offensive qualities ; and, remarkable to
state, her guns were provided even with
locks. She had been ably commanded
by a succession of distinguished officers ;
and, by actual practice in many severe
actions and much hard cruising since
she had been launched, her crew had
learned the rules of the game they
essayed to play. Her first lieutenant
ities wliicli absolutely astonished her officers
and men. The accidental trim, though it did
not add to her beauty, was found to work so
well in actual cruising that it was ever after-
ward maintained. She became so fast and
so reliable, under this new arrangement of
weights, that for years afterward she was known
as the "Old Wagoner.'* It is of her that Her-
man Melville wrote his famous book called
WMte Jacket ; o?% Life on a Maii-of-ioar.
STEPHEN DECATUE 67
states that they were continually prac-
tised in gunnery. She was now com-
manded by Captain James Surman Car-
den, who by his merit and bravery
had made his way upward in the ser-
g»-:ice in the face of the official disfavor
S^f the king, whom he had unwittingly
ffended in early youth — or his mother
ad for him. He had seen service con-
inually from a much earlier period than
lad Decatur, to whom he was senior in
e by eight years, and had been pro-
oted repeatedly for distinguished gal-
lantry in action. He was a commander
om whom much was expected.
There was a great difference in the
men of the two ships. The crew of the
^.United States idolized Decatur, although
he was a stern and strict disciplinarian,
L doing all that was necessary to promote
I the efficiency of his shixD. The crew
iof the Macedonian loathed and hated
Carden and his brutal first lieutenant,
Hope, — singular misnomer! The ship
6S STEPHEN DECATUE
was a floating hell. Scarcely a day-
passed but some one was sent to the
gratings and flogged. A year before
the action one man had received three
hundred lashes with the cat-o'-nine-
tails on suspicion of stealing a handker-
chief, the charge not being proven. So
far from being revolted by these brutal
punishments, officers and men, who were
at first sickened and horrified when they
witnessed them, grew indifferent, and
finally acquired a morbid craving for
the sight. Some captains, and among
them a predecessor of Garden on the
Macedonian, actually sought out charges
upon which the men could be punished,
in order to keep up discipline in the
crew. That the British sailors fought as
they did is a surprise.
To return to the two ships. They
were rapidly approaching each other on
different tacks, the wind blowing from
the S. S. E., with the Macedonian the
southermost and windward ship. Every
STEPHEN DECATUE 69
preparation on both vessels had. been
made for action. In order to make as-
surance double sure, Garden set a pri-
vate signal, whereupon the stars and
stripes immediately broke out on the
American from the main and mizzen-
mast head and gaff, the jack being set at
the fore. There were seven American
seamen on the Macedonian who had been
pressed in the British service. Although
rumors had reached them, they had been
carefully kept in ignorance of the actual
fact that war had been declared between
their country and England. The sight
of the flags flying on the stranger con-
firmed their suspicions, and informed
them of the true state of affairs. Headed
by one John Card, reputed to have
been as brave a seaman as ever trod
a deck, they marched aft to the mast,
and requested to speak to the cap-
Lain. Card, as spokesman, called atten-
ion to their situation, and expressed
"jheir reluctance to fight against their
70 STEPHEN DECATUE
own countrymen. They offered to yield
themselves prisoners of war, and asked
to be sent below. Garden^ who had
heard them with lowering brow^ sternly
ordered them forward to their stations,
peremptorily cut short their remon-
strances, and instructed their of&cers
and the marine guards to shoot down
the first man who left his gun.
At 9.20 in the morning a long tongue
of flame leaped from the side of the
Macedonian^ and a booming roar came
down the wind toward the Americans.
Several other guns followed in quick suc-
cession, but the shot fell short. The
United States held on in grim silence.
An incident which occurred on her at
this moment is worthy of mention.
John Creamer, a boy of ten years, the
son of a seaman who had died on the
cruise, came to the mast, and spoke to the
captain. He wished to have his name
put on the muster-roll. And, when
Decatur asked him why, he remarked,
STBPHE]^ DECATUE 71
with boyish audacity — and his words
must have been too much even for the
gravity of the occasion and the discipline
of the man-of-war — that he wanted to
be mustered, so that he could draw his
share of the prize-money ! His name
was put down. After the action, Deca-
tur procured him a midshipman^ s war-
rant.
At 9.45 A.M. the United States opened
fire, to which the Macedonian responded,
the distance between the two ships pass-
ing on different tacks being then about
one mile. At ten o'clock, Captain Car-
den wore ship, and ran along parallel to
Decatur, who was slowly eating his
way up to windward to close with his
antagonist. The two ships ran along
side by side within easy range, firing
continually. Carden, thinking he had
to do with the EsseXy a smaller frigate
than his own, and armed with short
guns, chose to play at long bowls, giv-
ing a tremendous advantage to Decatur,
72 STEPHEN DECATUE
whose frigate was armed witli twenty-
fours as opposed to Garden's eighteens.
The American was not slow to avail
himself of the situation.
The fire from the main deck's guns of
the United States was simply dreadful.
So rapid were the discharges that it
seemed to Garden and his officers that
she was on fire ; yet the rapidity did not
prevent accuracy, for the heavy bolts
from the long guns played havoc with
the British frigate. First her mizzen-
topmast was carried away and fell for-
ward with all its heavy hamper into the
maintop, hanging suspended over the
heads of the crew, and for a time render-
ing the main braces useless. Presently
the maintopgallantmast and the fore-
topmast followed suit.
The men on the Macedonian were
fighting with great spirit, however, yell- .
ing and cheering continuously ; but the
carnage was frightful. The slaughter
was so great that it became necessary
STEPHEN DECATUE 73
to throw overboard the killed and those
who were so badly wounded as to be
beyond human aid. One of the powder-
boys had all the flesh torn off his face
by the explosion of a cartridge he was
carrying ; and^ as he lifted his hands to
heaven in piteous agony, a cannon-shot
cut him in two. Another man had his
hand taken off by a shot, and, before he
realized his wound, a second bullet tore
open his bowels in a horrible manner.
He was caught as he fell, and was thrown
overboard. The boatswain, who had
been ill, but who had gallantly left the
sick-bay and gone to quarters, while
attempting to stopper a backstay, was
struck in the head, and instantly killed.
The sailing-master was frightfully
wounded ; the cabin-steward and the
schoolmaster were killed. One of the
quartermasters, who was exceedingly
popular with the men, was struck in the
heart by a grape-shot, and died in-
stantly. The tyrannical first lieutenant
74 STEPHEl^ DEOATUE
was wounded, and, after having his
wound dressed, returned to his station,
where he pluckily remained, though
wounded a second time. The men on
the ship were sorry he was not killed.
The slaughter among the powder-boys
was dreadful. The decks were covered
with blood, and bits of torn humanity
were interwoven with splintered wood
on every hand. The stream of wounded
carried below was so great that the cock-
pit was soon filled to overflowing, and
the shattered men had to be taken into
the ward-room. There was no time for
delicate surgery, and the surgeon and his
mates worked like butchers. Men were
thrown upon the table, held down, and
legs and arms hacked off with desperate
speed. Still the men fought on. The
punishment was so frightful that Garden,
now fully alive to the fact that he had
made a mistake in not closing, endeav-
ored at last to do so ; but, though he had
the will, he found he now lacked the
STEPHEN DECATUE 75
power. His mainyard was cut away,
and was hanging in two pieces. The
mizzenmast was gone. The maintop-
mast had been cut off above the cap,
the foretopmast was gone, the jib-boom
was hanging by a single stay. Notwith-
standing, the helm was shifted ; and un-
der the foresail alone, the only canvas
left) her, the doomed Macedonian slowly
sailed down to the American frigate.
Garden at the same time calling away
his boarders in anticipation of the colli-
sion. They actually responded with
cheers. A braver crew never fought
a ship.
On the United States things had gone
beautifully. The Americans still kept
pouring in their merciless fire, firing
about twice as fast as the British. Decatur
walked through the batteries himself
from time to time, and, as he saw the
plight of the hapless English, directed
his gun- captains to aim at the yellow
streak on the ship's side, saying they
76 STEPHEN DECATUE
needed a little more hulling. In spite
of the strong breeze, his ship was soon
so clouded by her own smoke from the
rapidity of her fire that Decatur gave
orders to stop firing^ — an action which
seems to have greatly cheered the des-
perate English. As the smoke cleared
away, Decatur was astonished to see the
remains of the Macedonian boldly head-
ing for him ; but he calmly backed his
maintopsailj having furled his mizzen-
topsail, owing to the loss of the mizzen-
topgallantmast early in the action, and
poured in a tremendous raking fire.
Again and again Garden luffed, returned
the broadside, and ran off to work him-
self nearer, while Decatur slowly forged
ahead to keep his relative position and
repeat his fire ; and thus for fifteen
minutes longer the battle went on.
Nearly every gun on the forecastle and
quarter-deck of the Englishman was
dismounted or put out of action. Sev-
eral of the main- deck guns were in
STEPHE:Nr DECATUE 77
a similar bad case. The foresail, the
last hope of the Macedonian^ was soon
cut to ribbons 5 and she slowly swung
about, broached to, and lay rolling, a
helpless, beaten wreck, in the tossing
sea.
Decatur now filled away, crossing the
Macedonian'' s bow, mercifully holding his
fire when he might have raked the
English ship terribly at short range,
luffed up to windward, and ran out
of action, at which the poor British,
imagining another frigate had appeared
or that something unexpected had
happened, gave three cheers and set an
ensign in the main rigging, all the others
having been shot away. But Decatur,
in accordance with a common practice
of American commanders, seeing the
state of the enemy's ship, and knowing
the battle was virtually over, had only
run off a little to take account of dam-
ages, rereeve gear, and fill more powder
cartridges, which his rapid firing had
78 STEPHEN DECATUE
exhausted. In a short time the TJniteSi
States, practically uninjured, tacked
about, and ran down under the stern of
the Macedonian. A summons to surren-
der followed. The game was up. The
poor little bravado bit of color in the
main rigging was hauled down, and the
battle was over. It was a little after
eleven o'clock.
The captains and crews of the two
ships were not unknown to each other.
A few months before the war the Mace-
donian had been at If orfolk, and there
had been much visiting among the officers
and men. Of course, the relative merits
of their respective frigates had been a
subject of much discussion. Garden is
reported to have closed a friendly con-
versation with the following remark:
^^ Besides, Decatur, though your ships
may be good enough and you are a
clever set of fellows, what practice have
you had in war'? There is the rub!''
He little dreamed that the required
STEPHEN DECATUE 79
^^ practice'' was so soon to be gained
from Mm.
As all the English boats except the
small one astern had been smashed to
pieces by the American fire^ Garden was
brought on board the United States in
one of her cutters. Decatur met him at
the gangway. As Garden proffered his
sword to Decatur, he returned it with
the magnanimous reply , ^^Sir, I can-
not receive the sword of a man who has
so bravely defended his ship.''
Garden, who had not heard of the cap-
ture of the Gtterriere by the Constitution^
and who imagined that his was the first
English ship to strike, was dreadfully
humiliated at the situation. On the
Macedonian, one hundred and four had
been killed and wounded. Of the
wounded, only fifteen recovered, mak-
ing a total of eighty-nine killed. In this
number were two Americans, Gard and
one other of his countrymen. On the
United States five Americans were killed
80 STEPHEN DECATUE
and seven wounded^ including Lieuten-
ant Funk and anotlier wounded man,
both of whom died after the battle.
A comparison of force is very much
in favor of the Americans. The United
States carried 54 guns to 49 on the Mace-
donian. The weight of broadside of the
United States was 787 pounds to 555 of
the Macedonian. The crew of the United
States numbered 478, that of the Macedo-
nian 297. The long twenty-fours on the
main deck of the American frigate were
much superior to the eighteen-pounders
on the Macedonian, although the English
officers had deliberately chosen to arm
their frigates with eighteen-pounders, de-
claring that they were much more ser-
viceable and useful than the larger guns
of the Americans. This admitted dis-
]3arity in force in no wise detracts from
the brilliancy of the victory. Since
boarding was not resorted to in the ac-
tion, the superiority in the number of
men on the part of the Americans cut no
STEPHEN DECATUR 81
particular figure. Eacli side liad enough
men to work its guns efficiently. And
the difference in force between the two
ships might be stated in the ratio of seven
to five, whereas the difference in fighting
quality, taking the number of killed and
wounded as a measure, for instance, was
as nine to one ! As a matter of fact, the
battle was decided almost entirely by the
gunnery of the Americans ; for over one
hundred heavy shot had struck the hull
of the Macedonian, or about one every
forty seconds during the close action,
whereas only three shot had struck the
United States ! In spite of their practice
and experience, the gunnery of the
British was so poor that it would have
made no difference if their main battery
had been forty-two-pounders, the result
would have been the same. When it is
considered that broadsides were ex-
changed at a distance not greater than
the width of an ordinary street and that
a frigate would rise above the water
82 STEPHEN DECATUE
about as high, as a small two-story house^
and cover seven or eight ordinary street
lots, the inability of the English to hit
becomes remarkable. The explanation
lies in the famous remark of Admiral
Farragut, to the effect that the best pro-
tection from the enemy's attack is a
rapid and well-directed fire from our
own guns. As a matter of fact, the
Macedonian was simply overwhelmed by
the rapid and accurate fire of the United
States.
Decatur had handled his slower ship
with consummate skill. He had so
manoeuvred as to inflict the most damage
to the enemy with the least risk to his
own force, — the end and aim of good
generalship. He had made use of his
advantage in armament in the most brill-
iant way, and the excellent gun practice
of his men was as much due to his ability
as a commander as had been the way in
which he had handled his ship. Much
credit also was due to the fii^t lieutenant,
STEPHEN DECATUE 83
Allen. His countrymen, who had long
known of Decatur's daring and gallantry,
were delighted at the exhibition of skill
and seamanship, strategy and tactics,
which he had made.
The victors treated the vanquished
with the utmost consideration. Decatur
paid Garden his own price for all belong-
ing to him that could be taken from the
prize which the Englishman did not care
to retain. The American officers and
men followed their captain's example in
their dealings with the enemy. After
the battle, while Garden and his officers
and the British crew were being removed
to the United States, and before a sufficient
prize crew had been sent aboard, some
of the British sailors broke into the spirit-
room, and indulged in a drunken orgie.
Many of the wounded, being supplied
with liquor at this time by their com-
rades, died from excesses. The ship
was a scene of horror. Dead, dying,
and drunken men, lying on the shat-
84 STEPHEI^ DECATUE
tered, bloody deck, rolled to and fro in
the helpless, unstable wreck. Groans,
curses, drunken blasphemies, and ago-
nizing yells and screams from the
wounded added their quota of horror
to the awful scene.
The United States lay by the Macedo-
nian for two weeks ; and by the most
arduous labor she was refitted and
placed under the command of Allen,
the gallant and able first lieutenant,
when the two ships returned to the
United States. The Macedonian was the
only one of the great European frigates
defeated in this war which was brought
to this country. She remained long on
the list of the American Navy, render-
ing efficient service in many a cruise,
finally serving as a practice ship for the
I^faval Academy, after its establishment
in 1845.
Decatur and his men were received
with the greatest enthusiasm on their
return to the United States. On the
STEPHEN DECATUE 85
night of December 8 official society in
Washington was in attendance at a pub-
lic ball. President Madison and his wife
were present, with Commodores Hull
and Stewart, Captain Morris, and many
others, when young Archibald Hamil-
ton, a midshipman on the United States
^ and the son of the Secretary of the
( Navy, came into the room with Deca-
tur's report in his hands and the flag
of the Macedonian wrapped around his
c shoulders. When he told his thrilling
. story, he was caught up in the arms of
the men present, the flag torn from his
shoulders and waved over the heads of
the company, while cheer after cheer
rang through the ball-room.
Decatur, with Hull and Jacob Jones,
: who had captured the Gtcerriere and the
Frolic respectively, were presented with
gold medals by Congress, all the junior
officers were presented with silver
, medals, and prize-money was gener-
ously distributed. Thanks were ten-
86 STEPHEN DECATUE
dered Decatur by tlie legislatures of
several States, several handsome swords
and pieces of plate were presented
to Mm, and banquets and theatrical
entertainments were given to the officers
and men. His fame, which had been
of the highest since 1804, could be no
greater 5 but this brilliant sea fight still
more endeared him to his countrymen,
and intrenched him more firmly in
their affections. The Macedonian was
refitted, and under the command of
Jacob Jones, together with the United
States and the Sornety forming a squad-
ron under Commodore Decatur, dropped
down to New London in the hope of
getting to sea again — a hope which
unfortunately proved futile, as the ships
were blockaded there for over a year.
Decatur extended a challenge to Com-
modore Hardy, who commanded the
station, to meet the Undymion and the
Statira with the United States and the
Macedonian. The challenge, after a cor-
STEPHEN DECATUE 87
respondence not discreditable to either
party, and certainly not to Decatur, was
refused. Seeing no hope of escaping
the blockade, Decatur finally dismantled
his ships, and in April, 1814, was given
command of the frigate President and
the squadron at New York. It is note-
worthy that Decatur was the only cap-
tain who commanded in turn the three
great American ships, the Constitution^
the United States^ and the President
\
While Decatur commanded the Presi-
dentj and the authorities were fearing that
the British fleet and army, which after-
ward captured and burned Washington
and went to disastrous defeat at New
Orleans, might descend upon New York,
the navy department placed the naval
defences of that city and harbor under
his charge. Decatur thus found himself
in command of a force of upward of five
thousand men, comprising the crews of
all the war- vessels, privateers, and mer-
chantmen, the garrison, the men of the
shore batteries and the volunteer militia.
These he drilled and disciplined and
trained in the most assiduous and effec-
tive manner, animating all with his gal-
lant spirit. This was, I believe, the
largest land force, if it can be so char-
acterized, ever under the command of
an American naval officer.
When it was seen that New York was
STEPHEN DECATUE 89
not the object of attack, Decatur of
course resumed command of his squad-
ron. Taking advantage of a strong off-
shore gale, which would naturally drive
the blockaders from their station, on the
evening of January 14, 1815, the weather
being very cold, the President alone
weighed anchor from her station off
Staten Island, and stood down the bay,
leaving her consorts to follow at the next
convenient opportunity. The destina-
tion of the squadron was the British East
Indies, with a rendezvous at Tristan da
Cunha. The frigate passed Sandy Hook
in a half gale of wind, and was going at
a splendid rate, when at eight o'clock in
the evening, the pilot having mistaken
the channel, because the boats stationed
to mark it had been improperly placed,
the ship, deep laden with stores for a long
cruise, took ground heavily on the bar.
The high sea and heavy wind rolled
her and thumped her upon the hard sand
with great force. Quick seamanship and
"^I
90 STEPHEN DECATUE
good discipline saved the masts and spars
from going by tlie board. Preparations
were at once made for getting lier off;
and, after an hour and a half of wrench-
ing and straining, the rising tide enabled
her to cross the bar into deep water.
She had received severe injuries, the
exact nature of which it was then impos-
sible to determine ; but several of her
rudder braces were broken, a large part
of the false keel had been torn away,
and the ship had been completely
^^ hogged'' — i.e,, her back was twisted
and broken, not sufficiently ta wreck her,
but so as to impair materially her mobil-
ity and speed.
Decatur would have returned to the
harbor, but the furious off-shore gale
absolutely prevented it. To have an-
chored would have been impossible, or,
if possible, it w^ould have meant merely
waiting for the return of the blockading
squadron. There was nothing to do but
to go on. Accordingly at ten o'clock
STEPHE:N" DECATUE 91
under all the sail she could carry^ the
President headed eastward^ and ran
along the Long Island shore for about
fifty miles ; when^ reasoning that the
British ships would have endeavored to
beat up against the heavy gale^ in order
to retain their position off the mouth
of the harbor^ Decatur ran off to the
south-east to make for the distant ren-
dezvous. Fortune, however^ did not
favor him. Either because they were
unable to keep their station or^ as it is
claimed, owing to the keen supposition
of Captain Hayes of the Majestic, the
senior of&cer present, that in escaping
the Americans would in all probability
take the course followed by Decatur, the
British ships were cruising off the east
end of Long Island just where Decatur
made his turn to the southward.
The early morning revealed a first,
and then a second, a third, a fourth, and
later on a fifth vessel. The violence of
the wind had moderated considerably ;
92 STEPHEIST DECATUE
and, with a whole-sail breeze, Decatur
had at once come by the wind on the
port tack, hoping either to distance his
pursuers or, if that were impossible, to
seek shelter in the sound, or, failing that,
to run the President ashore. Everything
that the ships could bear in the way of
canvas was at once flung out ; and a
long, stern chase began.
The President^ like the other American
frigates, a very swift ship, lagged in a
most unaccountable manner ; and the
British men-of-war, skilfully sailed, be-
gan to close in upon her. Early in the
morning the Majestic fired several broad-
sides, which fortunately fell short. De-
catur lightened his ship by pumping out
water, throwing the provisions over-
board, cutting adrift boats, and doing
everything that good seamanship and
experience could dictate, such as wetting
down the sails, flattening out sheets by
tackles, etc., to increase the speed of his
ship, but without avail.
STEPHEN DECATUE 93
It is to be remembered that none of the
officers or men were familiar with the
sailing qualities of the President: they
had had no experience with her what-
ever; and in the delicate operation of
lightening ship, and altering her set
upon the water, they had to be guided
by general principles alone. The effect
on the sailing qualities of the ship by an
altered trim may be seen from the note
on page 63 regarding the United States.
Even had they known the President, the
terrible wrenching and straining to
which she had been subjected would
have rendered their knowledge more or
less useless. As brilliant a seaman and
as able officers and crew as ever trod a
deck or passed a weather ear-ring, were
upon that ship ; but, try as they would,
they could not gain.
At two o'clock in the afternoon the
leading ship of the enemy, which was
astern and to leeward on the starboard
quarter, began firing from her bridle and
94 STEPHE^f DECATUE
bow ports. This was the Undymion, the
same with which Decatur had vainly
endeavored to arrange a contest while
blockaded at New London. She was com-
manded by Captain Hope^ and had been
especially prepared by the British ad-
miralty to cope with the heavy Ameri-
can ships of the Constitution class. She
was a twenty - four-pounder fifty -gun
frigate, and of course an equal match for
the President^ which she greatly excelled
in speed and mobility in the American's
unfortunate condition. The President
returned the fire with her stern- chasers
and one or two after-guns ; but the En-
dymion was excellently handled, and fin-
ally took a position off the quarter of the
President^ in which the latter could not
bring a single gun to bear upon her and
from which the English ship could deliver
a terribly galling fire. Maintaining this
position with great skill, Captain Hope
continued to pour his shot into the help-
less American, checking the superior
STEPHEI>r DECATUE 95
speed of his ship by yawing from time to
time^ and in each instance delivering
broadsides.
Men were falling^ killed and wounded,
on the decks of the Fresident, guns were
dismounted^ sails and rigging cut to
pieces ; and the position became unten-
able. Of course, Decatur could have
changed his course and brought the Un-
dymion to action at once ; but the pur-
suing ships would have captured him.
So he grimly held on, until, after greatly
increasing his distance from the consorts
of the EndymioUj he decided to carry
out a plan upon which he had deter-
mined previously, — a plan which for
boldness and daring well accords with
the character of the man. It was his
intention suddenly to alter the course of
his ship, and, being to windward, run
down the Endymion and capture her by
boarding, and, after scuttling his own
ship, escape in the swifter sailing Eng-
lish frigate ! The details were explained
96 STEPHEN DECATUR
to the officers. The crew were called
aft, and the project revealed to them
in the following characteristic speech,
which was received with wild cheers : —
^^My lads, that ship is coming up with
us. As our ship won't sail, we'll go on
board theirs, every man and boy of us,
and carry her into JSTew York. All I
ask of you is to follow me. This is a
favorite ship of the country. If we
allow her to be taken, we shall be
deserted by our wives and sweethearts.
What, let such a ship as this go for'
nothing ! 'Twould break the heart of
every pretty girl of Ilfew York.''
Immediate preparations were made to
board. Suddenly, about six o'clock in
the evening, the helm of the President
was put up hard, the after-sails shivered,
and she gracefully swept around before
the wind to run down her tenacious
pursuer ; but Captain Hope, with equal
promptness and skill, frustrated the ef-
fort by duplicating Decatur's manoeuvre^
STEPHEN DECATUR 97
and the two ships now ran off side by
side^ at right angles to their former
course. It was only necessary for the
other pursuers to take the hypothenuse
of the triangle to close with the President
His plan having failed^ Decatur now
endeavored to cripple the Endymion, in
order that he might shake her off and
escape from the squadron. The two
vessels sailed side by side for nearly two
hourS; pouring broadside after broadside
into each other at short range. The
execution on the Fresident was awful.
A thirty-two-pound shot from the first
broadside of the Endymion cut off the
right leg of Babbitt, the first lieutenant;
who was standing near the ward-room
hatch, through which he actually fell
to the main deck, breaking the thigh of
his wounded leg in two places. He died
dictating messages of affection to his
friends. A short time after this mishap
Decatur stepped upon a shot-box to ob-
serve the enemy, and was struck in the
98 STEPHEIS^ DECATUE
chest by a large splinter^ which, hurled
him prostrate and senseless on the deck.
The anxious men gathered about him ;
but^ when he recovered^ he refused to
be taken below to have his wounds
dressed^ and ordered them back to
their stations. Later in the action he
was struck in the forehead by another
splinter^ which inflicted a painful wound
and covered his face with blood. His
third lieutenant^ Hamilton^ whom we
saw carrying the colors of the Macedo-
nian to Dolly Madison's ball at Wash-
ington^ a very gallant young of&cer,
whose favorite expression was^ ^^ Carry
on^ boys^ carry on/' was struck by a
grape-shot, and instantly killed while he
was in the act of uttering it. Eichard
Dale, the son of the distinguished old
commodore, had his left leg shot off, and
died a few days after its amputation.
Many of the petty officers and men were
also killed and wounded. Eeuben James
was wounded three times, having twice
STEPHEN DECATUE 99
heroically refused to leave his station.
The President was much cut up in spars
and rigging^ although everything still
held ; and it was found she was making
water fast from the leaks which had
developed since her grounding. But
her own battery had been superbly
served. Il^ever were guns fought better.
The fire of the Endymion was mainly
directed at the hull of the Fresident,
while the fire of the American had been
concentrated upon the spars and rigging
of the English ship ; yet the latter ship
found herself in bad case. By eight
o'clock every sail had been stripped
from her yards ; spars and rigging had
been cut to pieces, and her battery had
been completely silenced. After an
hour and a half of close action the fire
of the Endymion began to slacken : inter-
vals of more than a minute elapsed with-
out a single shot from her guns. At
half after eight the Endymion, com-
pletely helpless from the loss of her
100 STEPHEN DECATUE
sails and with most of her port guns dis-
mounted or disabled, dropped out of
action, — adrift on the sea. She had
been beaten to a standstill. Had the
two ships been alone, Decatur could
have chosen any position he desired, and
forced her to strike without delay.
At this moment a junior lieutenant,
Howell, eighteen years of age, who com-
manded the quarter-deck division of
guns, looked over the rail toward the
EndymioTiy saying gayly, as he did so,
^^ Well, we have beaten that ship at any
rate.'' As he spoke, there came a flash
from the bow of the other ship ; and he
added, ^^No, there she is . . . '' when he
was struck by a grape-shot, and instantly
killed. That was the last shot fired by
the Endymion, The President discharged
a few more guns into her silenced antag-
onist, then Decatur bore up, came up by
the wind, and resumed his former course
under a press of sail, from the royal
studding-sails down. So thoroughly had
STEPHEN DECATUR 101
the Endymion been beaten that Decatur
in these evolutions indifferently offered
the stern of the President to her battery
without her making the slightest effort
to rake the American frigate^ which she
could have done with effect at close
range^ had she been able to discharge
a single gun. The Undymioriy as a factor
in the contest^ had been eliminated.
The Fresident lost twenty-four killed and
fifty-five wounded, the Endymion eleven
killed and fourteen wounded.
The wind had shifted again, the sky
was overcast, and Decatur now had great
hope of escaping ; but the President had
lost much ground by the changed course
and by action with the Endymion, and
the other British ships were very near.
The moonlight shone through rifts in the
I clouds ; and, though every light had been
extinguished on the President, the pur-
suers were enabled to get a glimpse of
Iher from time to time. Finally, when
the clouds cleared away about eleven
102 STEPHEN DECATUE
o'clock at nightj the Fresident found that
the Fomo7ie, 38 (a ship like the Guerrierey
the Macedonian^ and the Java) had
reached a position close alongside on the
port bow. The Tenedos, a similar ship
to the Fomone, was within easy rangf
on the quarter 5 and the Majestic^ a fifty ij
six-gun razee (i.e., a cut-down line-ol ')
battle ship) was within gunshot right
astern. The Fomone poured in a broad-
side, the Tenedos opened fire, and the
Majestic prepared to tack and rake.
To avert further useless slaughter,
seeing that escape was hopeless with his
shattered ship, with nearly one hundred
of her crew killed and wounded, three
of his lieutenants killed and the sailing-
master severely wounded, Decatur de-
termined to surrender. He remained
upon the deck and bade the men leave
their stations for their protection, while
he called out to the Fomone that they had
struck. His statement was not under-
stood in the confusion ; and the Fonione
STEPHEN DEOATUE 103
continued lier destructive fire, killing
and wounding a number of men. Decatur
at once summoned his men to their
quarters again, thinking that the Pomone
intended to sink them, and intending,
"lerefore, to fight to the last. At this
oment, however, the Pomone^ observ-
ig that the light at the peak of the
President was being hauled down, sus-
pended her fire, hailed, and received
answer that the ship had struck.
As Decatur had surrendered to a
squadron, he was rowed to the Majestic^
and then handed his sword to Commodore
Hayes, who commanded the squadron.
The Englishman returned it at once with
the words which Decatur had previously
spoken to Garden of the Macedonian.
Decatur then returned to the President^
and went below to have his wounds
dressed. The squadron of course hove
to, and the shattered and battered
JEJ?^%m^07^ joined the rest some two hours
afterward. In spite of these undisputed
104 STEPHEN DECATUR
facts certain Britisli writers put forth
the preposterous claim that the President
was beaten by the Endymion — a claim
stultified by their official reports, the de-
cisions of the prize court, and now aban-
doned.
The next day the three officers who
had been killed were buried from the
gangway of the Fresidenty Decatur him-
self reading the services and the British
marines guarding the prisoners doing
the last honors. The captured Americans
were then transferred to the Endymion ;
and, after refitting as weir as possible,
that ship, with the President^ set sail for
the Bermudas. It came on to blow vio-
lently during the voyage, and the ships
separated. In the storm the Endymion
lost all of her masts, and was compelled
to throw overboard all of her quarter-
deck and forecastle guns to keep from
foundering. The President also lost her
masts and a small part of her spar-deck
battery. Both ships, however, arrived
STEPHEN DECATUE 105
safely, the President in much the better
condition. Decatur was soon paroled
and sent home, but before he arrived
news of the signing of peace had preceded
him. It was with a heavy heart that he
landed at New London on February 22,
1815 ; but the reception he met with
everywhere from his countrymen showed
that he had not forfeited their esteem,
and dispelled in large measure his sad-
ness. The government also gave him
signal proof of its confidence in him.
Soon after Decatur was assigned to
his next command, the court of inquiry,
invariably convened when a ship of the
government is lost, was called to inves-
tigate the surrender of the President
After four days of rigid examination of
the circumstances, this court found that
the loss of the President had been caused
by injuries sustained in striking the bar ;
that none of her officers was to blame
for that unfortunate happening ; that no
I means had been left untried to get her
106 STEPHEI^ DEOATUE
off tlie bar^ and, when pursued, to es-
cape ; that the flight of the President
and the way she had been handled gave
the highest evidence of the experience,
skill, and resource of her commander
and the ability and seamanship of her
officers and crew 5 that their conduct
during the chase, the attempt they made
to board the Endymion, the way they
had fought that ship to a standstill, and
their whole course in the action were
worthy of the highest commendation.
They stated that Decatur had ^^ evinced
great judgment and skill, perfect cool-
ness, the most determined resolution and
heroic courage ; that his conduct and
the conduct of his officers and crew is
highly honorable to them, to the Ameri-
can ITavy, and deserves the warmest
gratitude of their country 5 that they
did not give up their ship till she was
surrounded and overpowered by a
force so superior that further resistance
would have been unjustifiable and a
STEPHEInT DBCATUE 107
useless sacrifice of the lives of brave
men. ' '
The verdict of the court, composed
of able and disinterested officers of rank
and distinction (among them Alexander
Murray and Isaac Hull) rendered upon
oath, after taking the testimony of the
eye-witnesses of and participants in the
incident, should be absolutely conclu-
sive. When to this verdict is added
Decatur's well-known character for
capacity and courage, which does not
rest upon words only, but had been re-
peatedly attested by deeds, there would
seem to be no room to raise the doubt
which certain writers have recently
raised concerning his conduct while in
command of the President j or to question
the justice of the findings.
VI.
FiYE days after tlie promulgation of
the Treaty of Peace the President rec-
ommended that war be declared against
Algiers. The recommendation was
acted upon on March 2 ; and Decatur
and Bainbridge, the latter being the
senior^ were ordered to command two
heavy squadrons of war- vessels for the
Mediterranean. Decatur's squadron,
being further advanced in preparation,
got first to sea, and on May 20 sailed
for the Barbary States.
The squadron, which comprised the
frigates Guerriere^ Macedonian^ and Con-
stellationj the sloop-of-war Ontario, the
brigs Upervier, Fire-fly^ Flambeau, and
8parJc, and the schooners Spitfire and
Torch, reached the Mediterranean on
June 15. The Bey of Algiers had taken
advantage of our war with England to
capture a belated American merchant-
man, the brig Edwin, and sell her crew
STEPHEN DECATUE 109
into slavery. The other Barbary States
were under the impression that the
British would sweep the Americans
from the sea^ and that they could work
their villanies without fear of retribu-
tion. Tunis and Tripoli, the latter un-
mindful of its recent lesson, had amused
themselves by breaking the rules of
neutrality and permitting British vessels
to cut out from their harbors American
prizes, which had been sent in by the
privateer Abellino. They had also done
other high-handed and insulting things.
The Algerine Navy was much larger
than the force under the command of
Decatur, but most of it fled to the friendly
harbor of Malta. On June 17, while
about twenty miles from Cape de Gata,
the flagship Meshoiida, 46 guns, under
the command of Admiral Eais Hammida,
a man of uncommon boldness and cour-
age, who had had a distinguished career
from his youth up, was discovered by
the American squadron, which immedi-
110 STEPHEN DECATUE
ately attempted to close with her. The
Constellation^ being nearest, first opened
fire, effectively followed by the Ontario ;
but a change in the course of the
Algerine brought her within easy range
of the Guerriere, which passed near
her, holding her fire until close aboard,
and then delivering two tremendous
broadsides with such coolness and pre-
cision and at so short a range that the
ship was virtually beaten at that time.
Hammida, who had been wounded by
a shot from the Constellation^ but had
bravely remained on deck, directing the
ship, was cut in two by a forty-two-pound
bolt from one of the Guen^iere^ s c^nnon-
ades. As the American flagship shot
ahead, the Meshouda, catching a favor-
able slant of wind, wore and endeav-
ored to escape.
The little eighteen-gun brig Epervier,
Captain Downes, then took a position on
the quarter of the Algerine ; and by the
exercise of the most daring and brilliant
STEPHEN DECATUE 111
seamansliipj backing and filling^ the
little brig ranged from one quarter to
another^ keeping close aboard and deliv-
ering nine consecutive broadsides before
tlie other ships could get into action.
The Meshouda was raked repeatedly by
the Upervier. She finally surrendered.
Decatur stated that he had never seen a
vessel better handled nor fought than
the Upervier, The Algerians had thirty
killed and many wounded ; the Guerrierey
four wounded by the enemy and three
killed^ and three killed and seven
wounded by the bursting of one of her
main- deck guns. There were no casual-
ties on the Upervier.
On June 20 the Epervier and some of
the smaller vessels captured a large twen-
ty-two-gun brig. The Algerine^ which
was called the Estedio^ being hotly pur-
sued^ ran ashore ; and the Americans took
possession. Part of her crew made off in
boats, one of which was sunk by a shot
from the pursuing vessels. Twenty-three
112 STEPHEIsr DECATUR
dead were found upon her decks^ and
eighty were made prisoners. The Estedio
was floated off the shoal and sent back
to Cartagena as a prize.
On June 28 Decatur arrived off
Algiers. The harbor of Algiers was so
well fortified that England a year later
thought six ships-of-the-line^ with accom-
panying frigates and transports^ under
Lord Exmouth, were not too great a
force for its reduction. The expedition
was inspired by Decatur's brilliant
campaign with his small force of frigates
and minor war vessels. Decatur imme-
diately determined to attack the batter-
ies with his little squadron; but^ be-
fore doing so^ the Swedish consul^ being
summoned by a signal, came aboard
with the Algerian captain of the port.
Upon learning of the fate of the Me-
shouda, the latter made proposals for
settlement. Bainbridge, Decatur, and
Mr. Shaler were commissioners author-
ized to treat for peace. As Shaler was
STEPHEN DECATUE 113
with Decatur, it was not necessary to
wait for Bainbridge. Decatur demanded
the return of the prisoners and an in-
demnity of ten thousand dollars for the
Edwin and her cargo. He was invited
on shore to discuss the treaty, but he
sternly declared that the matter should
be settled on the deck of his flagship or
nowhere. The Algerian asked for a
truce while the treaty could be con-
sidered. Decatur refused. He then
asked for three hours' time, and the reply
was: —
'^ISot one minute ! If your squadron
appears before the treaty is signed by the
Dey, and sent off with the American
prisoners, ours will capture it.'' The
most that Decatur would concede was that
hostilities should cease as soon as the
Algerine boat should be observed return-
ing under a white ^ag, the Swedish
consul pledging his honor that it should
not be displayed unless the treaty were
signed and the prisoners in the boat.
114 STEPHE5s^ DECATUE
With a very ill-grace the Algerian
went ashore to report to the Dey. While
they were waiting his return, an Algerine
man-of-war was seen approaching. De-
catur threw out signals for a general
chase, and bore down upon her in the
Guerriere, the rest of the squadron fol-
lowing in pursuit. The Algerine was
well inshore, and made desperate efforts
to reach the harbor. Decatur had de-
termined to capture her by boarding,
even under the batteries ; and he com-
municated his intention to the crew,
who as usual received his words with
cheers. On this day he wore the badge
of the Cincinnati Society and was
dressed in his full uniform — laced coat
and hat, tight cassimere pantaloons, long
boots bordered at the top with gold lace
and with tassels of gold also. He was
not accustomed to go thus clad into
action ; for it is reported that he had
fought the Macedonian wearing a suit of
old shore clothes and an old straw hat,
STEPHEN DECATUE 115
looking more like a farmer than any-
thing else. When the Guerriere was
about to open fire, the boat of the Al-
gerian negotiator was seen coming up
the harbor at the utmost speed, with
a white flag flying at the fore. The
squadron was therefore called off, and'
the Guerriere headed for the boat.
^^Is the treaty signed!'' exclaimed
Decatur, with impatience, as the captain
of the port and the Swedish consul
reached the deck of the Guerriere.
^^It is/' replied the consul, as he
placed the paper in the hands of the
commodore.
^^Are the prisoners in the boaf?"
^^ They are."
^ ' Every one of them ? ' '
^^ Every one, sir."
The statement was indeed true. On
June 30 all the provisions of the treaty
were carried out, and the war with
Algiers was over.
On July 8 the squadron left Algiers ;
116 STEPHElf DECATUR
and^ after stopping at Sardinia for water,
etc.^ on the 26tli of the month they
arrived at Tunis. Decatur sent a de-
mand to the Bey for forty-six thousand
dollars, the value of the two prizes of the
AbelUno, with the threat that, if the
money were not paid in twelve hours, he
would commence hostilities. The Bey
invited the admiral to come ashore, but
Decatur declined. Finally, on the dis-
tinct pledge that payment should be
made in accordance with the American
demand, Decatur landed, and received
the money. The British consul, who had
urged the Bey to his iDrevious course,
enjoyed a bad quarter of an hour under
the sarcastic remarks of the Tunisian
ruler.
On August 2 the squadron sailed for
Tripoli, arriving on the 5th of the same
month. Thirty thousand dollars, and a
salute to the American flag which was to
be rehoisted over the American consulate,
were demanded from the Bashaw for the
STEPHE:^^ DECATUE 117
other two prizes of the AbelUno which
the British had retaken. The Bashaw
had no stomach for a fight. He asked an
abatement of the indemnity, and Decatur
consented to receive twenty-five thou-
sand dollars, learning that that amount
would be a fair price for the prizes ;
but he stipulated in addition that the
Bashaw should release ten Christian
slaves of whom he had heard, — two of
whom were Danish youths and the others
Sicilians. The money was paid, the
captive Christians delivered, the ensign
saluted, and the band of the Giterriere
was sent on shore for the purpose of
playing ^^Hail Columbia.'' Peaceable
relations were established with the Tri-
politans, therefore, on August 7.
Seventy- one days after the squadron
had set sail from New York, all the wars
were over ! In one of Decatur's letters
to the navy department he says, —
^^I trust that the successful result of
our small expedition, so honorable to
II
118 STEPHEN DECATUE
our country, will induce other nations
to follow the example, in which case the
Barbary States will be compelled to
abandon their piratical system."
His words were prophetic, and the
iniquitous career of the corsairs was
closed by England in the following year.
The credit, however, of having first
enforced free passage for merchant-^
vessels and maintained the right at the
cannon's mouth remains with the little
American republic.
Decatur was received with the greatest
distinction in the various Mediterranean
ports at which he stopped, especially at
Naples. The squadron was sent to
Malaga to meet Commodore Bainbridge,
who had arrived at Gibraltar on Septem-
ber 29, with the second American squad-
ron. While Decatur was proceeding
from Cartagena alone in the Guerriere,
he fell in with an Algerine squadron of
four large frigates and three sloops- of-
war on the way from Malta to their
STEPHElSr DECATUE 119
home port. The Algerines, in line of
battle, swept down npon the Guerriere
with their men at quarters. Decatur
sent his men to quarters, and cleared
for action, addressing them briefly, as
follows : —
^^My lads, those fellows are approach-
ing us in a threatening manner. We
have whipped them into a treaty ; and,
if that treaty is to be broken, let them
break it. Be careful of yourselves.
Let any man fire without orders at the
peril of his life. But let them fire first,
if they will ; and we'll take the whole
of them.''
Decatur's speeches were always short
and to the point.
The Guerriere had the weather- gauge,
and sailed defiantly along the Algerine
line, which passed by in grim silence,
the last ship carrying the admiral's flag.
As the latter came alongside the Guer-
riere he hailed, and the following con-
versation took place : '^ Dove andante f "
120 STEPHEI^ DECATUE
(Where are you bound?) Taking the
trumpet from the officer of the deck,
Decatur instantly shouted in a tone of
defiance, '' Dove mi piace.^^ (Where I
please. )
VII.
On October 7, having turned over the
command of the squadron to Bainbridge,
Decatur set sail for l^ew York, which he
reached on ITovember 18. Soon after-
ward he was appointed, with Commo-
dores Eodgers and Porter as his
colleagues, one of the Board of Isfavy
Commissioners, and stationed at Wash-
ington, where he built himself a hand-
some residence.
Possessed of ample fortune, blessed by
the companionship of a devoted and
highly accomplished wife, in the enjoy-
ment of a responsible and dignified posi-
tion, and having received every honor
in his chosen service which it was pos-
sible for him to enjoy, he looked forward
to a long, happy, and useful life in the
service of his country. Not that he
sighed for hours of ease and pleasure,
for he says in one of his letters, —
^^ After all this, my dear friend, what
122 stephe:^ decatue
shall I do ? We liave no war nor signs
of a war^ and I shall feel ashamed to die
in my bed. '^ Fate had determined for
him a sad end of which he little dreamed.
Commodore James Barron^ whom De-
catur had known during the whole of
his naval career and under whom he
had served several times in the United
States and other ships^ had been sus-
pended for five years for the Chesapeake-
Leopard incident of 1807. The Leopard
had met the Chesapeake just outside the
Chesapeake Bay ; and^ after a bombard-
ment which killed and wounded a num-
ber of men^ she had taken from her
deck three deserters^ two of whom were
American citizens. The Chesapeake^
which was in a dreadful state of confu-
sion, had only fired one shot in return
for the fire of the Leopard ; and that shot
would not have been fired, had it not
been for Lieutenant Allen, afterward
Decatur's executive officer on the United
States^ who carried a live coal from the
STEPHEI^ DEOATUE 123
galley in his bare hands to ignite the
priming and discharge the gun. After
firing that one gun, Barron surrendered
his ship ; but the English commander,
refusing to receive the ship, took the
deserters, and sailed away. Barron was
tried by a court-martial. Though he
had been acquitted of cowardice and of
having failed to encourage or cheer his
officers and men, he had been found
guilty of going to sea in a state of dread-
ful unpreparedness when the possibility
of action was apparent, and for neglect-
ing to call his men to quarters when that
possibility appeared imminent. He had
been sentenced to a suspension of five
years. Decatur had been one of the
court which had sentenced him. The
sentence of suspension had expired five
months after the War of 1812 broke out,
but Barron did not return to the United
States until the close of the war in which
he took no part. He had reported to
the navy department by letter during
124 STEPHEN DECATUE
tlie war^ and lie now made application
for reinstatement in the service.
As a Navy Commissioner, Decatur op-
posed the application, not so much on
the ground of the original misfortune
while Barron was in command of the
Chesapeake as because he had not re-
turned and taken part in the war. It
was a matter of principle with Decatur,
who disclaimed any personal animus
whatsoever toward Barron, for whom,
indeed, he seemed to have cherished a
certain feeling of regard. The Navy
Commissioners, under the Secretary of
the Navy, at that time administered the
affairs of the department ; and the com-
missioners might, in a certain sense, be
said to have been in command of the
navy, of which Barron would be re-
garded as a subordinate officer, so that
their decision practically settled the
question.
Barron, when he learned of Decatur's
views, began a correspondence with him
STEPHEI^ DEOATUE 125
on June 12, 1819, which continued until
February 6, 1820, and resulted on that
day in a challenge. Decatur had per-
sistently refrained from challenging
Barron in spite of much provocation,
and the summons to the combat came
from the latter. Decatur, indeed, had
nothing whatever to gain from a duel,
and everything to lose. Conditions
with Barron were different, and he
acted accordingly. Efforts were made
by friends to avert the threatened meet-
ing, but they were unavailing. Captain
Jesse D. Elliott, who was himself under
a cloud for his conduct in the battle of
Lake Erie, is generally believed to have
been responsible for the unfortunate end
of the correspondence. He had con-
veyed such a garbled version of Deca-
tur's words and actions to his principal
as rendered the encounter unavoidable,
and he acted as Barron's second. Com-
modore Bainbridge acted as the friend
of Decatur. On March 22 the comba-
tants met at Bladensburs*.
126 STEPHEN DECATUE
That a military commander was Bot
obliged by tlie code of bonor to grant a
meeting to a dissatisfied subordinate was
folly understood, the contrary idea be-
ing subversive of all discipline. But
Decatur refused to avail bimself of any
such, exemption. He only entered upon
the duel from a sense of duty. Decatur
was an excellent marksman, a perfect
master of his weapon ; and he had deter-
mined not to kill his antagonist. In
fact, he had at first made up his mind
not to return his enemy's fire at all,
following the example of Commodore
Perry, to whom he had acted as second
in his duel with Captain Heath of the
Marine Corps, some years before. But
Barron was a very near-sighted man ;
and, instead of placing the opponents
at the usual distance, eight paces had
been agreed upon in view of Barron's
infirmity of vision. Under the cir-
cumstances, Decatur, who had no wish
to lose his own life^ felt that it would
STEPHEIsT DECATUE 127
not be safe for him to refrain from
firing. So lie determined to wound his
adversary in tlie Mp, just where he
had shot the mate of the merchantman
years before.
In the morning^ after an early break-
fast, the little party met on the duelling
ground. The distance was measured by
Commodore Bainbridge, and the two
seconds proceeded to load the pistols.
Bainbridge won the choice of position,
and chose the lower place. The two
adversaries were placed opposite each
other. Commodore Bainbridge stated
that he would give the word quickly as
follows : ^ ^ Present, one . . . two . . .
three ! '' and they were not to fire before
the word ^*one" nor after the word
three." At this moment Barron ob-
served to Decatur that he hoped, should
they meet in another world, they would
be better friends than they had been in
bhis. Decatur replied gravely and
][uietly, ^^I have never been your
128 STEPHEIf DECATUE
enemy^ sir.'' It seems as tlioiigli the
matter miglit have been arranged after
snch an intercliange of sentiments^ even
at tliat moment ; bnt no propositions
were made by either party.
Bainbridge then pronounced the fatal
words. At the word ^^two/' both men
fired simultaneously. Barron fell badly
wounded in the right hip, just where
Decatur had said he would hit him.
Decatur stood for a moment erect, then
pressed his hand to his right side and
fell. The bullet from Barron's pistol
had passed through the abdomen, in-
flicting a wound necessarily fatal then,
as another such would probably be even
now. As he lay on the ground, he
said these sad words: ^^I am mortally
wounded, at least I believe so ; and I
wish I had fallen in defence of my
country."
He was raised and supported a short
distance, when he again sank down
by the prostrate Barron, whose second.
STEPHEN" DECATUE 129
Captain Elliott, had fled from the scene
of the conflict when he saw the disas-
trous result of it. Barron was lying on
the ground alone. He declared that
everything had been conducted in the
most honorable manner, and told Deca-
tur that he forgave him from the bottom
of his heart. What he had to forgive
I do not know.
It was reported that Decatur asked
Barron why he had not returned to the
i United States, and that Barron answered
that he had been imprisoned for debt,
and had been therefore unable to re-
turn. As to that, in 1821, with all the
'facts in its possession, a court of inquiry
decided that his absence during the war
^was without permission of the govern-
Iment and contrary to the duty of an
officer of the United States, and the
evidence of his inability to return was
f^Qot satisfactory.
^ The fleeing Elliott having been caught
and brought back by Commodore Por-
130 STEPHEN DECATUE
ter, Barron was taken away^ and De-
catur was removed to Ms home at once.
The family were at breakfast when he
reached the door. He was suffering in-
tensely. Indeed, he remarked several
times during the course of the day that
he would not have believed it i)ossible
for any human being to suffer such pain ;
but those who were with him said, in all
his anguish, not one groan or murmur
came from him. With characteristic
chivalry, he refused to allow his wife
to stay in the room with him, that she
might be spared the sight of his agony
and death. Having made his will and
disposed of his affairs, he lingered until
ten o'clock that night, when death
mercifully put an end to his sufferings.
Oh, the pity of it all !
In the House of Eepresentatives the
following day Eandolph of Eoanoke
moved that the House adjourn to attend
the funeral of Decatur on Friday, and
that the members should wear crape on
ti
STEPHEN DECATUR 131
their arms during the remainder of the
■session in testimony of respect. Mr.
^Taylor^ of New York, opposed the mo-
jtion, saying that, though he yielded to
[no member of the House in respect for
[the memory and public service of De-
^catur, it was with the most painful re-
gret that he felt constrained to say that
[he had died in violence to the laws
I of God and his country. He could not
J therefore consent to the distinguished
jand unusual honors which had been
] proposed. The motion was withdrawn ;
I and, though it was repeated again, it
jlfwas wisely not put to a vote. Both
Houses, however, adjourned without
specifying the purpose, and followed
the remains to the grave.
The funeral was attended by the Presi-
dent, the cabinet, the chief justice and
the associate justices of the Supreme
Court, the Senate and House of Eepre-
jfsentatives, the officers of the army and
^navy, the foreign ministers, and a vast
132 STEPHEI^ DECATUE
concourse of citizens. Among the pall-
bearers were Commodores Eodgers, Por-
ter and MacDonougli of the navy and
General Brown of the army. The body
was temporarily laid away in the vault
at Kalorama^ the beautiful country-seat
of Joel BarloWj on the banks of the
Potomac. It was afterward removed to
the cemetery of St. Peter's Church,
Philadelphia, where it now lies beside
that of his father and his mother. A
modest tombstone marks the resting-place
of the hero.
The nation universally^mourned for
him, and so popular and beloved had he
become that we may venture to say of
him, as was said of a greater and nobler
man, one of that brave Dutch people
from whom he sprang, ^^As long as he
lived, he was the guiding star of a whole
brave nation; and, when he died, the
little children cried in the streets.''
His whole life had been devoted to his
country. It had been his good fortune
STEPHEN DECATUE 133
to render conspicuous and brilliant ser-
vices in every station in wliich lie liad
been placed. There is no blemish upon
his fame in his public career. His pri-
vate life had been equally blameless^ and
his family and social relations were of a
noble and tender character. As a seaman
and an officer he was second to no one.
He enjoyed the highest society of his
time and was one of the most cultivated
and refined gentlemen of his day. His
person and his manners were attractive
and charming. He was above the me-
dium height^ well proportioned^ grace-
ful and strong. His hair and beard were
of a dark chestnut color and curly^ his
eyes black and lustrous^ generally soft
and gentle in expression^ and rarely
brilliant in moments of action and ex-
citement. His nose was slightly aqui-
line and rather large ; his mouth, mod-
erate in size and finely curved ; his
complexion^ clear and pale and rather
dark.
134 STEPHEN DEOATUE
He was one of those rare characters
who are equally beloved by men and
women. With the former he was a
genialj kindlj^, affectionate comrade.
Toward the latter he was a devoted,
gallant and respectful friend. His
married life, though not blessed by
children, was otherwise very happy, and
he was the idol of the children of his
day. He was gentle and companionable
in his tastes, temperate in his pleasures,
quiet in his manner, with a low and
pleasing voice. The high temper with
which he had been born was kept under
control except in rare instances, when
he was excited by injustice, deceit, or
oppression. He was an upright, God-
fearing man, an Episcopalian by bap-
tism and rearing ; and, although his
wife was a Eoman Catholic, he never
failed to attend the services of his own
church whenever his duties permitted.
He was generous to a fault, and after his
death there came to light many instances
STEPHEN DECATUR 135
of his benefactions which were hardly
known during his life.
Loyalty to his country was the very
breath of life to Decatur. It is even
said that, when he offered his hand to
her who afterward became his wife, he
told her that he had devoted himself to
his country, and that it should ever have
the first place in his heart. Our judg-
ment does not entirely approve the
ethic significance of his famous senti-
ment, ^^My country, — may she ever be
right, but, right or wrong, my coun-
try" ; but our affections tend to make
the sentiment our own. There is a ring
of sincerity in the words and in him
which wins us in spite of all. Even his
faults were of a kind which attract
rather than repel. But it is as a
fighter, in the highest and best sense of
the word, that Decatur is remembered
by us ; and we may close this brief ac-
count of him with a quotation, slightly
altered, from a tribute to Lawton, a
136 STEPHEI^ DEOATUE
great American soldier^ who died but
yesterday : —
^^The man of the Intrepid is the incar-
nation of some shining^ helmeted warrior
who fell upon the sands of Palestine in
the First Crusades, with the red blood
welling over his corselet and his two-
handled battle-sword shivered to the
hilt. The race type persists unchanged
in eye, in profile, in figure. It is the
race which in all the centuries the
Valkyrs have wafted from the war-
decks,— the white-skinned race, which,
drunk with the liquor of Battle, reeled
around the dragon standard at Senlac,
which fought with Eichard Grenville,
which defied Alva in the Nether-
lands, which fought the winter at Valley
Forge, which broke the Old Guard at
Waterloo, which rode up the slope at
Balaklava, which went down with the
Cumberland at Hampton Eoads, which
charged with Pickett at Gettysburg, —
the race of the trader, the financier, the
STEPHEN DECATUR 137
statesman, tlie inventor, the colonizer,
the creator, but, before all, the fighter.''
High, brave, loyal, and splendid, the
great commodore stands before me a
glorious figure ; and I salute him, '^ The
Bayard of the sea."
BIBLIOGEAPHY.
Decatur has been much written about,
and short biographies of him abound.
Only two persons, however, have at-
tempted to write a comprehensive life.
The principal authorities are noted in
the subjoined list. I have not referred
to the numerous magazine articles and
essays, which give no new facts concern-
ing him ; nor is it necessary to do more
than to mention the letters, speeches,
memorials, etc., accompanying the claim
of Mrs. Decatur for prize-money for the
destruction of the FMladelphia. In the
naval histories referred to below, elabo-
rate and interesting accounts of Deca-
tur^ s war services are given.
I. Life and Character of Stephen
Decatur, etc. By S. Putnam Waldo,
Middletown, Conn. Printed by Clark
& Lyman for Oliver B. Cooke, 1822.
Second edition. Contains several inter-
BIBLIOGEAPHY 139
esting old pictures^ but is of little value
otherwise.
II. ISTATIONAL PoitTBAIT GALLERY.
By James B. Longacre and Joseph Her-
ring. First edition. Three volumes.
Philadelphia : Henry Perkins. 1834.
There have been numerous editions of
this book ; and^ although there have
been slight changes in the subject-mat-
ter^ the account of Decatur is practically
unaltered.
III. History of the ]^avy. By J.
Fenimore Cooper. Philadelphia : Lea
& Blanchard. 1839. Contains sketches
of public services and biographical note.
A very valuable book^ and the founda-
tion of all the subsequent naval histories
of the United States.
IV. Library of American Biog-
raphy. Conducted by Jared Sparks.
Second Series. Vol. XI. Life of
Stephen Decatur. By Alexander Slidell
140 BIBLIOGEAPHY
Mackenzie^ U.S.N". Boston : Charles C.
Little & James Brown. 1846. A care-
fully studied and well-written narrative
and a most valuable and accurate con-
tribution to tlie subject^ indispensable to
the student. It is^ unfortunately, out
of print and rare.
V. Field Book of the War of 1812.
Benson J. Lossing. IsTew York : Harper
& Brothers. 1868.
VI. Memoir of Commodore Porter.
By Admiral David D. Porter, U.S.N.
Albany: J. Munsell. 1875. The book
throws some interesting side-lights upon
the duel and last hours of Commodore
Decatur^ especially with reference to the
conduct of Captain Elliott.
VII. The AuTOBioaRAPHY of Commo-
dore Charles Morris. Boston : A.
Williams & Co. 1880. Published for
the Naval Institute^ Annapolis^ Md.
Valuable information concerning the
BIBLIOGEAPHY 141
cutting out of the Philadelphia and life
in the early navy is given in this, a
scarce and interesting pamphlet.
VIII. The IsTaval War of 1812. By
Theodore Eoosevelt. New York : G. P.
Putnam's Sons. 1882. The author
seems to have a prejudice against Deca-
tur^ to whom he refers slightingly in
one instance and censures in another.
IX. History of the I^avy. By Edgar
Stanton Maclay. IsTew York : D. Ap-
pleton & Co. 1894. The best and most
reliable of all the histories of the navy.
X. Great Men ais^d Famous "Womeist.
Edited by Chas. F. Home. 'New York :
Selmar Hess. 1894. Contains an inter-
esting sketch by Edward S. Ellis, who
received valuable details from a personal
interview with Commodore Stewart.
XI. I^AVAE History of the United
States. By WiUis J. Abbot. New
York : Dodd, Mead & Co. 1896.
142 BIBLIOGEAPHY
Xn. Naval. Actions of the War of
1812. By James Barnes. Xe^r York :
Harper & Brothers. 1896. An enthu-
siastic and excellent book. ^1
XIII. Twelve Xayal Captains. By
Molly Elliot Seawell. Xew York :
Charles Scribner's Sons. 1897.
XIV. History of our Xayy. By
John E. Spears. Xew York : Charles
Scribners Sons. 1897. A popular and
interesting book^ filled with rare and
valuable illustrations.
XV. Decatur and Somers. By Molly
Elliot Seawell. Xew York : D. Apple-
ton & Co. 1898. Third edition. A
clever and attractive story of the early
service^ containing much that is inter-
esting.
XVI. Ajmerican Xaval Heroes. By
John Howard Brown. Boston : Brown
& Co. 1899.
The beacon BIOGRAPHIES.
M. A. DeWOLFE HOWE, Editor,
The aim of this series is to furnish brief, read-
able, and authentic accounts of the lives of those
Americans whose personalities have impressed
themselves most deeply on the character and
history of their country. On account of the
length of the more formal lives, often running
into "large volumes, the average busy man and
woman have not the time or hardly the inclina-
tion to acquaint themselves with American bi-
ography. In the present series everything that
such a reader would ordinarily care to know is
given by writers of special competence, who
possess in full measure the best contemporary
point of view. Each volume is equipped with
a frontispiece portrait, a calendar of important
dates, and a brief bibliography for further read-
ing. Finally, the volumes are printed in a form
convenient for reading and for carrying handily
in the pocket.
SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY, Publishers,
6 Beacon Street, Boston.
[oyer.]
The beacon BIOGRAPHIES
The following volumes are the first issued; — .
John Brown, by Joseph Edgar Chamberlin.
Phillips Brooks, by the Editor.
Aaron Burr, by Henry Childs Merwin.
Frederick Douglass, by Charles W. Chesnutt.
David Glasgow Farragut, by James Barnes.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, by Mrs. James T. Fields.
Robert E. Lee, by W. P. Trent.
James Russell Lowell, by Edward Everett Hale, Jr.
Thomas Paine, by Ellery Sedgwick.
Daniel Webster, by Norman Hapgood.
The following are among those in preparation: —
John James Audubon, by John Burroughs.
Edwin Booth, by Charles Townsend Copeland.
James Fenimore Cooper, by W. B. Shubrick Clymer
Benjamin Franklin, by Lindsay Swift.
Sam Houston, by Sarah Barnwell Elliott.
SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY, Publishers.
°fe
'■^o.
V-
ST. AUGUSTINE ^ ,, ^ ^^^
.ij^^ CIA !• ^ V .1
FLA.
'f 32084
.^^
--A"
^P^ *»,o' ^
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
0 011 896 045 2 ^
Live Music Archive
Librivox Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Books to Borrow
Open Library
TV News
Understanding 9/11